Just when you think every Fox Mustang has been thrashed within an inch of its fenders, we have news of several collections aimed at preserving our favorite Mustang generation. If we didn't personally see many of these collections we'd swear they were made up. Plus, when we're in our 50s, and see an original Fox Mustang with 6 miles on it for sale, we won't automatically discount it as a fake. Thankfully, while the rest of us are busy thrashing our Fox Mustangs, there are people out there keeping these cars bottled up for posterity's sake.
Most would argue that these cars are meant to be driven, and we agree, but having original preserved for study is a good thing, too. After all, a car is original only once, and these collections represent the cream of the Fox Mustang crop. In doing our research for this article it seems the book ends to most Fox Mustang collections start with a '79 Pace Car, and end with a '93 Cobra R. The Fox Mustangs between these two milestones usually include assorted extremely low-mileage SVOs, '85-'86 GTs, Saleens of all years, and Fox coupes.
One collection we were able to see up close is Daniel Carpenter's gathering of Fox cars. Daniel's collection is nothing short of spectacular. His group is stored in an upstairs room, and when I opened the door to see what was on the other side it was like seeing Marissa Miller in person. OK, maybe not, but it was really close. I was speechless while gazing at 14 gleaming Foxes. I wanted to hug 'em, squeeze 'em, and call them my own, but I don't think Daniel would approve me taking any home. Daniel's breathtaking collection starts with a '79 Pace Car featuring the original front spoiler still in the box. The car has 11 miles on it.
Chick's car? Sure, the Mustang's...
Chick's car? Sure, the Mustang's non-threatening sportiness has always been a sales virtue. From '79-'81 it is what the Fox Mustang survived on. This little-adorned, pre-5.0 convertible highlights the Foxes spare physique and large greenhouse. And yeah, it was a long time ago; if she was 25 then she'd be 54 now.
Other than the Pace Car, collection highlights include a triple-black '83 GLX 5.0 five-speed convertible with six miles on it, an 85 1/2 Comp Prep SVO with 380 miles, an '86 SVO with four miles, a '93 Police Package LX coupe with 347 miles, and a '93 Cobra R with 29 miles on it that was never dealer prepped. Daniel had several Fox Mustangs that had never been dealer prepped. These cars still have the plastic on the seats, and chalk markings from the factory. They all smelled brand-new.Another collection visited by Editor Turner is that of National Parts Depot's Rick Schmidt. Rick owns the first serialized Fox Mustang and the last Fox Mustang to roll off the assembly line. The '79 was evidently ordered by a friend of Edsel Ford, and the last '93 is a red GT convertible. Rick also owns a '79 Pace Car, a '93 Cobra, and a '93 Cobra R. You can read more about Rick's first and last Foxes in the captions.
One collection we heard about is from Monty Scawright. Like many of us, Monty was a teenager during the late '80s. No one from that generation will ever forget seeing, hearing, or driving a Fox Mustang for the first time. That sensation and image is burnt in our brain. Also like many of us, Monty couldn't afford one at the time, but he has more than made up for lost time with his current collection. Monty, like our first two collectors, also has a '79 Pace Car and a '93 Cobra R. The Pace Car has 150 miles on it, while the Cobra R features just six miles. Monty, however, has a couple really special cars in his collection, including an '85 Twister II with around 700 miles, and an '89 LX convertible Carolina Edition. The Twister II was only available in the Kansas City sales district, and just 90 were built, making them extremely rare. The Carolina Edition convertibles were all white with a red interior, and featured a 5.0/five-speed combination. Monty's example boasts 89 miles, and he even has the car's original window sticker. Making this author super jealous, Monty also has an '89 Saleen SSC, and it has just 596 miles on it.
Speaking of Saleen Mustangs, Stu Akers from the Saleen Ranch probably owns the largest Fx Saleen collection. Stu, at our latest count, owned 13 Fox Saleens ranging from the three '84 models to 2 of the 18 '90 Saleen SCs. Stu owns '85-49R, the first Saleen race car. Stu owns several significant Saleens from the Fox era. Another Fox Saleen aficionado is Mark Allen, who at last count owned 9 examples, including what many regard as the Fox Saleen high-water mark in an SA-10. So, while Fox Mustangs aren't setting records on the auction circuit just yet, there are several enthusiasts that collect these cars for the pure love of the Fox. For that we thank them from the bottom of our hearts. - Michael Johnson