The early fifth-generation Ford Mustang is toward the top of my list of favorites in this long-running nameplate’s entire existence. I can find something to appreciate about each and every iteration of Ford’s pony, from its iconic beginnings through its weight gain of the early seventies and subsequent crash diet, the Fox-platform years alongside which I had grown up, and every model afterward. As a former member of the Mustang tribe myself (my former ’88 four-cylinder LX hatchback counts), one thing I had always admired about this model’s general concept was that even through its performance-starved years of the so-called Malaise Era, the Mustang had at least attempted to continue to be a car that was designed to be personalized by its owner.
I couldn’t find any ’07 Mustang print ads, so these ’06 brochure pages will have to do.
The S197 generation that made its debut for model year 2005 continued this tradition but was wrapped in styling that was drop-dead gorgeous. This is the purest modern aesthetic homage to the classic Mustang fastbacks and convertibles of the ’60s that has been produced before or since. In my eyes, it’s hard to improve on a package that already has the looks hammered down as neatly as the 2005 – ’09 Mustang. Even Bob Ross knew when to stop painting “happy, little trees” on whatever canvas he was working on for Public Television. This is not to say that I dislike our featured car. I admire the amount of sheer gusto that went into both the creation of this concept and also its execution. That car simply reeks of bravado.
The ideas for its customization might have been inspired in part by the black and gold edition of the 1977 Mustang II Cobra II, which itself had been a (loose) visual tribute to the ’66 Shelby GT350-H Hertz Rent-A-Racer cars. I’m drawing a straight line between the featured GT and the Cobra II and not the GT350-H only because the latter had a more subdued, deadly serious appearance. The Mustang II Cobra II in black and gold had stripes, spoilers, and louvers on the rear quarter windows, various accoutrements which were probably needed to get the point across. A basic Mustang II in black with gold stripes and without those other things wouldn’t have looked… well, quite as performance-like. I want to be clear that I do like and often defend the MII, maybe even to the annoyance of some people.
While it’s true that the color scheme of this ’07 does somewhat resemble that of its forbear from thirty years prior, that was not my first thought when I had first seen this car. I’m not sure exactly what this says about me, but my initial reaction to this Mustang was that it looked like a box of Trojan Magnum condoms on wheels. Google that yourself and tell me I’m wrong. There’s the bright, shiny graphics of brassy gold foil in a shade that looks almost identical between this car and said packaging. Going from memory, I had thought the Trojan logo was a horse, which is not unlike the stylized pony on the side of this fastback. As it turns out, the logo is actually of a soldier. I could have sworn it was a horse at one point.
Maybe that was the point in the owner having stylized his Mustang GT like this. I’ll also go out on a limb and say it is definitely a “he” who owns and pilots this thing. The way this car presents itself signals that it was intended to be the biggest, baddest SN197 still on the streets of Chicago, and it still stands out in 2026. I wouldn’t doubt it if the original 4.6-liter V8 has been massaged beyond its original 300 horsepower or had even been replaced with something different altogether. A license plate search had indicated that this car had originally been built at Ford’s Flat Rock, Michigan plant, which I associate most closely with where my old ’94 Ford Probe had originally been assembled.
Whether you agree with me or not, it’s certain that these graphics and body addenda certainly make for an unmistakably distinctive package. A factory-stock Mustang of this era with low miles, in either fastback or convertible form, would possess ample pizzazz for me. It’s tough to wrap my brain around the fact that this generation of Mustang is now over twenty years old. Twenty years prior to 2005, the ’85 Mustang GT with its high-output 5.0L V8 was considered a beast with its 210 hp and 265-lb. ft. of torque. Aside from both being Mustangs and either of which I’d love to own today, the ’85 and ’05 share little if any visual continuity, which I think is completely fine. A quick internet search of the significance of the colors black and gold yields that this combo connotes wealth, protection, and power. Sounds right to me.
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois.
March 2026.
This is.. too much for my taste, but I appreciate that the owner had a specific look in mind and went for it without holding back. Certainly there is no other Mustang like this, and as you correctly say Joseph, having YOUR car was always part of the Mustang credo.
The original S197 was a great design (less so it’s re-stylings, in my opinion) and is probably the one that most captures the original ‘Stang, yet has a contemporary outlook. It still looks good 21 years later
Mustang production moved to Flat Rock with this generation; the plant was earlier operated by Mazda, then jointly with Ford, and that would explain why your Probe was manufactured there
I agree. There is absolutely something to be said for commitment. It seems there was no hemming nor hawing when it came to decorating this GT.
Now I’m curious if products built in Flat Rock had been shown to have a significantly higher level of quality than other, non-Mazda affiliated factories. It would make even more sense that the S197 would have been built here, wanting to make the best first impression with the intoridtion of this design.
The 2010 refresh was okay, but nothing compares with the original ’05.
The Mustang has generally rated well in JD Power ratings, including a specific metric on Plant Quality where Flat Rock has a good resultsL https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2025-us-initial-quality-study-iqs
But I do wonder if they clearly separate engineering issues (example, the new 10 speed transmission had some troubles when first introduced in 2018 ) from build quality issues which can clearly be attributed to the plant
I also remember having read positive things about the quality of these cars when introduced, though I’m sure there were some a few first-year things to be tweaked. It would have been such a shame to tarnish such great styling with quality that didn’t match.
Well, whoever created that should be given credit for doing a pretty good job with some pretty questionable bolt/glue-on parts. I tend to feel that “dedication” counts for something when I see a creation like this, and therefore cut the owner some slack in the taste department.
Does this car have curb feelers??? Or are those orange things up front just neon-colored straps to hold on the kind of dubious chin spoiler.
My first thought as well was that it was a condom tribute car.
Jeff, I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one with that first impression of this car. Not that I needed that validation, but it helps to know I wasn’t just imagining things.
And those one hundred percent look like curb feelers. I imagine that these ground effects and graphics were not inexpensive, so curb feelers actually make a lot of sense here.
Nope, not curb feelers. Hard to tell on right side since the chin spoiler is damaged already. On the left side you can see how it is attached to the chin spoiler. Both front wheels show that they have met up with a curb with some black paint missing on each side.
In my second shot in particular with the health club in the background, it still looks like a curb feeler to me. If not that, I wonder what it is.
You don’t put curb feelers on the left side where there isn’t a curb. In the 4th (left side) photo, you can see where that post attaches to the end of the spoiler. But that portion of the spoiler has fallen off on the right side. It’s hard to see because of the darkness and the elaborate configuration of the spoiler.
I assume that this car has seen some track time so I accept the fully functional rear spoiler. I don’t like the wavy window louvers.
I remember seeing that side decal on other Mustangs, so I think it was a factory graphics option. I notice that it’s peeling on the driver’s side. When you go all out with exterior design, you have to keep up with the maintenance because it looks tired more quickly.
Mystery solved – thank you.
I also am a former Mustang owner, only mine just said “powered by Ford” the VIN plate under hood on the left side had “Mustang GT350 manufactured by Shelby American Los Angeles California”. The VIN number started SFM 6S then the number of the car from 001 to 2378, mine was near the end at 2050.
The picture was taken by my wife at a high speed event, this was entering the slalom portion. Course was set by SCCA on an unused airfield in Suffolk VA, it had been used as a dragstrip under NHRA rules, the area wheere that picture was taken was the drag strip section.
Both the photo and this history are amazing. Thank you for sharing this.
I’ll go out on a limb and guess the kid that owns this overdone mess isn’t quite 20 yet, and still has an acne problem.
This monstrosity would require far more money than most 20 year olds could throw at it. My guess is that it’s the pride and joy of some roidhead across the street at Orange Fitness.
FWIW, I love the design of the S197, but this one looks like some goofy-ass alien Hot Wheels toy.
I did actually later see the owner get into the car on a different day (I write and schedule these pieces weeks in advance), and confirm that it’s a guy who looks pretty normal.
I too love this generation of Mustang. What I like about it is that despite being full of obvious callouts to classic early Mustangs, it is in no way a “retro” design. It looks like a new car, and if I’d never seen a ’60s Mustang, I’d never guess anything about the 2005 car’s styling was a throwback. I think it was then-Ford designer J Mays who made a distinction about “heritage” design vs. “retro” design; the latter being something you could at first think was a ’50s or ’60s car, the former which carries on vintage design cues but is unmistakably a modern car. The last, 2-seat Thunderbird was more of a true retro design, something that could almost pass for a ’56 model if you squint a bit.
I agree, of the modern ponycars the most faithful retro design was the Challenger, whose deviations could be chalked up to compromises fitting the styling on the bulky LX platform. Ford’s most faithful retro design in my eye was the 05-06 Ford GT. The S197 design still had a lot of that modern “New Edge” language in it, and I think that helped make it palatable for all buyers
I’d also observed that the revived Challenger was the most retro of the modern pony cars, and I think it’s because, unlike the Mustang and Camaro, the Challenger look was defined by a single generation (not counting the later Mitsubishi product that was sold under the Challenger name, which was a decent car but something entirely different). The Mustang by contrast changed its look numerous times just during the first generation, and then there was the Mustang II, the Fox body, and two versions of the SN-95. I remain a bit surprised that Chevrolet chose to update the first-gen Camaro look for both the fifth- and sixth-gen Camaros rather than the (I think) better-remembered second or third generation models.
That’s a good point, there wasn’t much history to meld together for the Challenger, besides trim variations; the 09 basically was a thorough copy of the 70 grille/taillights, the 15+ emulated the 71 grillle and taillights and bits and pieces like the hellcat ‘s hood emulated the AAR cuda. The Mustang had a lot more ingredients to work with, even when the car was still firmly 60s retro in its 10-14 restyle they threw 5.0 badges nearly straight off the foxbody era on the side with the release of the Coyote in 2011
I can understand the Camaro, I think when it was conceived the collector car market was firmly valuing the 69 over all years, where second generations were still appreciating(and frankly hadn’t quite shed the mullet car image that only really remains on third and fourth gen’s). The 6th gen carrying over the 5th gen styling however I think was a huge mistake, and ultimately never sold as well.
> second generations were still appreciating(and frankly hadn’t quite shed the mullet car image that only really remains on third and fourth gen’s
I lumped the later 2nd gens in with the “mullet car image” back then, yet somehow not the early ones.
I think that while the Challenger was the least modern-looking against the Mustang and Camaro, it was its donor platform that made it the least successful modern aesthetic interpretation, IMO.
I like the reborn Chally a lot – don’t get me wrong. But against the original car, it had far too high and blocky a beltline and roofline, and its trunk was too short. I gave Chrysler mad props for it though, especially as it seems they had done so much with so few apparent resources (wasn’t its gestation during the Daimler-Chrysler years?) and actually brought it to market.
A buddy of mine has a Hellcat that he likes a lot. I’ve seen it and it’s pretty rad.
I love that you said that this generation of Mustang looks (or looked, at the time) like a new car, which I think was part of the genius of its design. What a seamless blend of heritage cues + correct proportions + modern design. Even the dash-to-axle ratio is on-point. I am a fan of the final Thunderbird, but I agree that it reached a lot further into the retro cookie jar than the S197.
I’ve been around enough “enhanced” Mustangs where I would confidently wager about all you’ll see under the hood that isn’t the stock 4.6 is an oversaturated cone filter and a cheesy chrome oil cap. Consider the fact it has stone stock brakes, I have a hunch the owner is more confident in his cosmetic decorating skills than mechanical ones.
The graphics remind me of the abhorrent but comparitively restrained ones often seen on Hellcat Charger/Challengers, course those have the power to back up such boldness.
I would actually be one such guy who, if I was inclined, would focus more on the exterior than performance gear, especially given that I’ve never wrenched a day in my life. But I guess I’ll never know unless I have a conversation with the owner, right? Maybe if I hear the exhaust when the car is in motion, it might give some clue. Maybe not.
It’s got AMR wheels(which funny enough I had a set on my Cougar briefly), so I wouldn’t be surprised if it has a catback exhaust from American Muscle too (or LMR et al), but that adds noise not tangible performance.
There’s nothing wrong with cosmetic mods, but there’s a certain point where it’s ridiculous. Going back to the mid 2000s when I think of all of these cosmetic mods I think modded Civics from the same timeframe. Blech
Mechanically frankly at 300 horsepower I wouldn’t be that inclined to do much mechanically to one of these beyond a better shifter and headers, that’s more than enough horsepower to get in trouble with.
Thanks Joe. Now I can’t unsee the Trojan reference, having used those back in the day.
It’s really hard to tell that this even is an ’07, as it could be anywhere from ’05 – ’09 looking like that. He (and yes, I agree, dollars to donuts, the owner is a he) has several aftermarket bits that were sold to make your Mustang look newer, like 2010 looking taillights that fit into the 2005 sheet metal. Even my Dad’s 2014 taillights were copied to fit into the sheet metal of the older Retro-stangs.
Anyway, obviously, I am a fan of this generation of Mustang and appreciate this owner’s dedication to making his look unique.
Personally, I prefer my ’07 Retro Stangs plain….
Haha! YW, Rick. I also like my S197s stock like I mentioned in the article, but I also applaud creativity and self-expression. To be honest, I know this is an ’07 only after a license plate search.
The Mustang continued a long tradition of personalization. There was quite an aftermarket for the Model T, according to E. B. White:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1936/05/16/farewell-my-lovely
“…the purchaser never regarded his purchase as a complete, finished product …A Ford was born naked as a baby, and a flourishing industry grew up out of correcting its rare deficiencies and combatting its fascinating diseases.”
That’s fascinating, and I like that levels of personalization seemed to be encouraged for these two highly successful and popular Ford models.
Coincidentally, I’ve always been a little curious as to how many Model T owners had chosen to have their cars painted something other than black after making that purchase.
A couple of things to unpack here. Personally, I severely dislike extreme, or even any, customization. It just looks so boy racer and messes with the purity of the original design. Granted, I added little silver F-50 badges to my Maverick, but that was it.
Secondly, the S197 is how you do homage right. Bravo to Ford for getting it so very right. I even like the ’10-’14 to an extent, but the ’05-’09 was perfect.
Finally, Joe, I’m a member of the Mustang II fan club as well. Certainly Ford lucked out with its introduction just as Gas Crisis I was starting, but it was a badly needed reset when the ’71-’73s got so large and cumbersome. And of course the Fox Mustang in ’79 was even better.
F-50 badges – that’s kind of genius! I don’t think I’ve heard of or seen that before. And it’s great to know that I’m in good company with regard to the MII. Dave Skinner at CC had written posts about a ’74 Mach I he had purchased and subsequently upgraded that had me going back for re-reads from time to time.
I have a Mustang book that has one large press photo of a ’74 Mach one in bright red with a silver interior and those polished, slotted mags in which that little Mustang II looks particularly fetching. I low-key wonder what one would be like with an Ecoboost transplant and a four-speed…
Not the best example (a bit too much testosterone maybe?) of what is, imo, the best looking Mustang since 1970, the 2005 to 2009 version. Retro re-style as good as it gets, evoking artfully the original better than any car I know of that has been “re-released” in a nostalgic re-styling.
My wife loved her mint conditionFlame red with black rocker stripe ’07 convert, we were both quite sad to part with it last year do to an upcoming long distance move to a house with only a small garage. In pure unadorned form it was a handsome car that truly had the panache of the original.
Oh, man. That sounds like a really hard car to have had to let go of. I would have loudly cried, without exaggeration.
I’m in two minds about this one.
On the one hand/mind, I see the look the owner was going for, a kind of Le Mans/ Bathurst race-car thing. That much I’m on board with.
On the other, there’s those graphics. Whatever off-piste product associations they may bring to mind, they’re very in-your-face. The front and rear spoilers would get enough stares without the graphics. The graphics kind of bring the whole together and stop it just looking like a Mustang with goofy spoilers, but I think they’re a bit overdone. Or perhaps the gold foil over black is a bit too much contrast.
Peter, I can often count on my CC friends from different parts of the world than my own to enhance my vocabulary, and your comment had me looking up “off-piste”, so thank you. Your comment has me wondering what this car would look like with all of the same body addenda, but sans graphics. I think I would feel that.
“Your comment has me wondering what this car would look like with all of the same body addenda, but sans graphics. I think I would feel that.”
This car jogged a buried 18 year old memory of the Knight Rider remake, in which KITT was a Mustang. Special pursuit mode isn’t far off from this…
Personally the wing is what I truly find repellant, I could almost tolerate the graphics if they were significantly toned town
I had almost completely forgotten about the “Knight Rider” reboot. In my mind, there can be only one make and model from which KITT can be based, and Pontiac has been gone since the Aughts.
It also occurs to me that there was a perfectly good and tasteful spiritual descendent to the Hertz/Cobra II black/Gold combo… the 2007 Hertz!
I will say one thing about customization of the third Gen and onward. That is that it is very hard to find one in un-customized condition nowadays. Say you wanted to buy an original today from that era, like I bought my 68 in 1984, you would be hard pressed to find one all original. Mine was worn but all original as it was owned by the original owner, a woman. I have looked and too many have stuff added while stock stuff was removed. OTOH I can find numerous 65-68 in original condition. Of course they all have one thing in common. They are all hardtops at reasonable prices.
The 1965 – ’68 hardtop was the most plentiful, popular, and representative of that era, even if the fastback body style is more popular today. I like that many are available. I think part of the reason many Fox-body cars had been customized is that given that its production run lasted for literally fifteen model years, maybe people didn’t see them as inherently special and in need of factory-stock preservation. Whenever I’m scanning online to see what’s available for sale (which I did literally yesterday), good-condition, unmodified Fox-platform 5.0L Mustangs are either hard to come by or a lot of money.
These Mustangs are also a big favorite of mine. The styling was just right in my eyes, a nod to the classic Mustangs of the late 60’s. I also liked that the basic bodystyle was a fastback. Early fastbacks have probably been the most coveted models by collectors. That had led to the extremely high prices that they command. Now, anyone that wants a fastback, can have one. The prices on these twenty year old Mustangs have dropped to the point that the average low buck enthusiast can afford one as a project to build their own version of the ultimate Mustang.
The featured car is a bit over the top, but the design and graphics go well together in my eyes, but I’m about fifty years too old to drive something like that!
I agree that 300 hp is plenty of power to get around on. In fact, I found the 200 hp V6 2007 that I bought new to have plenty of ooomph and good gas mileage. I rented a Coyote powered ’21 Mustang a few years ago when I was considering buying a new model. I felt that the extra power was just overkill, I actually liked a V6 / five speed manual car a lot better.
The only customizing I’ve done to my ’06 convertible is to add a couple of features that give it a bit of Mach One vibe. a front spoiler lip, and out back, a honeycomb pattern deck lid applique and tail lamp trim. The white stripes were there when I bought it.
I really, really like the honeycomb Mach I-style rear panel. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that treatment applied before on other Mustangs of this generation. It looks totally organic and not at all like an aftermarket add-on. Nicely done!
This photo shows the spoiler lip, but it’s not of my car.