Once upon a time, the Mustang name had been synonymous with high-performance motoring, but the downsized Mustang II which made its bow as a 1974 model was scarcely the same sort of car at all. During the later 1970s, Ford struggled to endow it with the muscle appeal of the original Mustang, but it was not until the Autumn of 1981 that they succeeded. The car was the new 5.0-litre model, based on 1979's much-improved new range. Advertisements announced that The Boss is Back! and indeed it was, in a way. The car's V8 engine, usually called a 5.0-litre to match the trend of the times towards Europeanisation, had the same 302 cubic inch capacity as the Boss Mustangs of the glorious 1960s. With 157bhp, it might not have had all their brutal performance, but it was most definitely a step in the right direction, because it turned the new car into the quickest Mustang in years, with zero to 60mph times of under eight seconds. For 1983, a four-barrel carburettor lifted power to 175bhp, and then the 1985 GT models boasted 210bhp. Ford boasted that year, too, that they had sold a number of 5.0-litre Mustangs with a Special Pursuit Package to Police Forces in several US States. New emissions regulations meant a switch to fuel injection, and for 1986 the 5.0-litre Mustang dropped back to just 200bhp, but with the 1987 facelift came a hike once again, this time to the 225bhp with which the model would play out its days. These Mustangs brought back the fun to motoring in the 1980s and brought back the original spirit of the Mustang name. That is why enthusiasts seek them out today, and will continue to do so as long as petrol remains available. Collected in this book are articles which explain more of what was so good about the 5.0-litre Mustang. Read and enjoy. This is a book of contemporary road & comparison tests & car conversions. Covered: 5.0L GT, Saleen, Project 514, Kaufmann, JBA/Saleen & SSC, LX 5.0L, Saleen SB/S, NOS/Saleen, SC, Cobra & Mach III.
