SUBTLE STANDOUT
May 21, 2025
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THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
LS is MORE
When GM introduced the Gen III small block in the F-body, it rekindled a dying performance flame with its new-generation small block. While the Gen I small block actually kick-started the hobby and got it into gear, it’s the latest family of small-block engines that has grabbed the attention of enthusiasts everywhere—and for good reason.
The Injection Connection
In 1999, Stotts decided to replace the carbureted 350, which was installed in 1991, with a Corvette TPI motor. Stotts wanted to bring the car into the new millennium with style, adding the extra convenience of electronic fuel injection. A resident of Mena, Arkansas, Stotts visited nearby Street & Performance to get started on his project. The S&P guys are well-known for being wizards when it comes to figuring out how to stuff an EFI motor in an older car and actually making it work.
Chasing Immortality: The 2026 AMBR Competition at the Grand National Roadster Show
The nine-foot AMBR trophy doesn’t celebrate excess. It rewards builders who understand proportion, restraint, and craftsmanship at the highest level—where every decision carries weight and every imperfection is amplified. Under the scrutiny of an expert judging panel, the 2026 AMBR contenders were evaluated on the fundamentals that have always defined America’s Most Beautiful Roadster: stance, line, finish, engineering, and an unshakable respect for roadster tradition. The margin between first and last place was razor thin, and the pressure showed in every detail.
Spotlighter
FOX-BODY SPOTTER’S GUIDE
Mustangs, and Much More
Author
Will Smith
Story & Photography
When Ford introduced the 1978 Fairmont, it could not have suspected at the time that it was beginning something that would change the company—and the high-performance aftermarket—forever. While the Fairmont may have been a forgettable mid-sized sedan and wagon platform, the car’s basic underpinnings proved to be an ideal basis for the new 1979 Mustang, just as the early Falcon gave birth to the first Mustang back in 1964-1/2.
It’s not that the ’79 Mustang set the world on fire, either. The car was better than the ’78, but it wasn’t a real performance car. That didn’t happen until the ’82 GT was introduced, which was a step in the right direction, as was the ’84 SVO Mustang. What really made the Mustang great was the 1986 addition of electronic fuel injection, but even that wasn’t initially identified, and wouldn’t become a young man’s performance car of choice until some time after its introduction.
The Mustang did become the perfect car to upgrade for speed without sacrificing a bit of practicality, and the aftermarket responded to this car (and vehicle platform) like no other before or since. To build the car, Ford used the Fox platform, which was the basis for that earlier Fairmont. Ford used the Fox platform to build other cars as well. The Thunderbird, Cougar, LTD, Marquis and Capri, and even the luxo Lincoln Mark VII, were all spawned from the basic Fairmont architecture. The Mustang’s aftermarket support largely crossed over to these other cars as well, and while none of them became as popular as the Mustang, today, availability, pricing and other considerations make all of them worthy contenders for any potential performance project.
Fox-body cars changed over the years, usually for the better. So, while everyone can spot a Fox Mustang, we decided to take the time to compile photos of some of the more popular Fox variations so that you can tell just what you’re looking at the next time you head to a car show or dragstrip. Sadly, we can’t provide an absolutely comprehensive guide to spotting every Fox-body model produced. Some of these cars, such as the Mercury Marquis, are just too rare in enthusiast circles for us to have a single example of one in our photo library. We’ve also included a few pictures of historic Fox-platform racecars, for no other reason than we like them, and thought you would, too. So, if you don’t know an SVO from a Turbo Coupe from an XR7, study this guide so that you, too, can become a true Fox fan.
The Mustang SVO is a limited-production version of the third generation Ford Mustang sold from 1984 to 1986, with fewer than 10,000 built. SVO is an acronym referring to Special Vehicle Operations, a Ford Motor Company skunkworks.
5.0 Mustang GT
The 1986 McLaren Euro Coupe was a limited-production sports car renowned for its sleek design and powerful performance. The Capris were contracted to be built by the American Sunroof Company (ASC), partnered up with the McLaren. With a turbocharged V8 engine delivering exhilarating acceleration, it offered an unmatched driving experience for enthusiasts of the era. Its rarity and distinctive styling make it a highly sought-after collector car today. Pictured here is car #19 of 47 produced (Oxford white, automatic transmission).
Here's a nice example of a Saleen Foxbody Mustang.
Here we have a police lineup of SSP (Special Service Package) Mustangs. This was a special Foxbody Mustang trim made exclusively for law enforcement use. It is estimated that nearly 15,000 of these special units were made from 1982 until their discontinuation in 1993 for over 60 law enforcement organizations and government agencies. Many SSPs had automatic transmissions, to free an officer's hand from using the manual transmission stick so that they could use the hand for other duties, such as speaking on a radio.
Here we have a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe alongside an SVO Mustang.
Lincoln Mark VII
Here's a Ford LTD LX. These have the 5.0 HO engine from the Mustang GT, and were only produced for 2 years (1984-1985). When's the last time you've seen one of these.
