The 1997 Mustang is an important vehicle to Ford for the convertible market segment. The GT is a member of a series of three trim levels for the Mustang which include SVT Cobra, GT, and Base. The two-door car with its rear-wheel drive is positioned to aggressively fill this niche for Ford. There is strong competition from vehicles from Lexus.

Performance

The Mustang GT is equipped with a Ford 4.6 liter eight-cylinder engine that utilizes 16 valves. The engine is mated to a Borg Warner 5-speed Transmission. This configuration has proven to be a successful design for Ford.

The Mustang uses power-assisted brakes, with Non-ABS support. The front brakes are disc while the rear brakes are disc. Steering is handled through a power-steering rack-style configuration. The car uses coil and coil springs front and rear respectively.

Fuel is handled for the Mustang is a SFI design, running on gasoline fuel. The gasoline is handled by an electronic system and is a fuel-injected MFI design. The capacity of the fuel tank is 15.40 gallons.

Mustang GT Statistics

The Mustang is 181.50 inches long, 71.80 inches wide, and 53.20 inches high. It has a wheelbase of 101.30 inches. It is able to seat 4 comfortably.

The standard warranty period for the Mustang is 60* months, or 50,000* miles, whichever comes first. The warranty also includes a warranty on the drivetrain for 36* months or 50,000* miles respectively. This is standard in the convertible market. Extended warranties are also available through the dealer.

The original manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was $15,355 when new, with a dealer invoice cost of $14,107. This price was in line with the industry average price for a 2-door Convertible.

Fuel Efficiency

The Mustang GT received a miles-per-gallon rating of twenty in-city driving and thirty when it came to long-distance. Being a gas-powered non-green car, this was subpar.

In 1996 and 1997 the Mustang GT was availble in the exterior colors of several colors.

In Summary

The 1996 model began the promise of the Ford Mustang. The 1997 expanded on this success and has proven to be a strong seller in most markets. Even with strong competition from other manufacturers Ford hopes that the Mustang GT will continue to be a profitable vehicle.

Tags: 2-Door, Convertible, Ford Mustang, GT, United States market

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 21st, 2009 at 10:18 am and is filed under 1997, Ford, Mustang. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.