1988 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 Is Epitome of 1980s Muscle

Fox body Ford Mustangs are having a moment right now. Everywhere you look we’re talking about them, they’re selling for record amounts, and even Ken Block is trying to build one out of carbon fiber. The Fox Body has arguably had several moments in its history where it carried an extraordinary appeal, but we’re hitting the sweet spot in terms of both profile and nostalgia. And that means some truly special Fox Bodies are coming out of the woodwork.

Take this ’88 Mustang GT 5.0 listed on Bring a Trailer. In some ways, it’s the perfect exemplar of the late 1980s Mustang scene, a perfect epitome of the period. The louvered taillights, the alloy wheels with meaty rubber, the big round fog lights in the air dam. The interior is even better, the sort of lurid red that is now virtually extinct. A shame, because the interior looks exciting while standing still. Well, maybe a little less exciting being an automatic, but maybe that suits the character of a retro cruiser with some get-up. This GT is too nice to abuse, with just 46,000 claimed miles on the clock.

As a collectible, it’s hard to top. The 5.0-liter V-8 is healthy in stock form, pumping out 222 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque, and it’s fuel injected, so there is no carburetor that will need constant attention. Parts are cheap, and at the moment so is gas. The seller notes the A/C isn’t working, but in Washington State—where the car is located—that’s never really a dealbreaker like it might be in, say, the southwest.

It looks like this Mustang has extensive documentation, but we can’t spot the original window sticker in the provided photos. No worries, Ford Show Parts has you covered with replica window stickers for 1987-1989 Mustangs. And if this one sparks a serious fascination with Fox Bodies in general, you can read our extensive history of the Fox Body’s conception.

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