1994-1998 Mustang Convertible

With the newly designed 4th generation Mustang in 1994, the convertible once again became one of only two body styles. The hatchback from previous years was dropped from the lineup. The new Mustang was wider and longer with a revised suspension that allowed for a more stable ride. The convertible in particular improved unit-body stiffness significantly; 80% more then the 3rd generation Mustang from the previous year. This all led to a smoother, move comfortable ride for the driver, but also paved the way for more performance under the hood now that the chassis could take it. By 1996, Ford retired the small-block V-8 in the Mustang Convertible and replaced it with a "modular" 4.6 L V8 engine that had been introduced five years before in the big Lincoln Town Car.

On the outside of these Mustangs, the old familiar Pony emblem graced the grille, which had a mesh backdrop. In the rear the horizontal tail lamps gave way to three-element vertical clusters, which gave the appearance of narrowing the car. Despite the new V-8s, Mustang sales for '96 dropped a steep 27 percent to 135,620, of which 10,006 were SVT Cobras. No matter what Ford did to the Mustang sales kept slipping every passing year. In 1997 many alterations happened to the convertible Mustang. The passive anti-theft system was made standard for base models, and interiors were monotone instead of two-tone, however the dash tops remained the same shade of black.

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