We might very well be living in the glory days of horsepower right this moment, but for those of you who remember the dark days of the 1970s and early 1980s, the advent of modern performance might be the best time of all. There were rumors that fuel injection would kill horsepower and performance, that nobody would be able to turn a wrench on their own cars, and the car hobby as we knew it would end. Turns out, none of that was true, and when Ford rolled out the 1982 Mustang GT with a rather torquey 302 under the hood, we all knew the tide was turning. In 1986, the Mustang GT received multi-point fuel injection and in 1987, the lusty 5.0 cranked out a Corvette-baiting 225 horsepower and a towering 300 pounds of torque. Combined with a rather light curb weight, a bargain-basement price tag, a capable suspension, and a long list of options and body styles, the venerable 5.0 Mustang became the choice of a whole new generation of motorheads.

Of course, cheap and fast also meant a very high attrition rate for obvious reasons. In fact, I recall my very first outing in a 1987 Mustang GT convertible very much like this 1992 GT ragtop (both of which, incidentally, were owned by my mother—yes, this is literally a little old lady special). It was March, I was a high school junior, the ground was a little cold and damp, and I squeezed the throttle a little too hard in a corner and was immediately introduced to the joys (and terror) of snap-throttle oversteer. The Mustang GT was a car that demanded respect but often received little simply because they were tough and cheap to replace. And that's why I think this 1992 Mustang GT with just 26,804 original miles merits your attention.

Yes, it's true—this is my mom's car. She bought it new in 1992 to replace that 1987 model that was stolen from the parking lot at the grocery store. Yep, gone, just like that. It's bright red with a gray cloth interior and black top, just like the first one, and it has an automatic transmission linked to the mighty 5.0 just like the first one. It has always been a fair weather toy and given that it was a downright TERRIBLE winter car with rear-wheel-drive, fat summer tires, and huge torque output), it has never seen snow or salt. By the time she bought this car, I was living on my own and had just ordered my own 1993 Mustang LX coupe, so don't worry, I didn't abuse or hurt this one in any way—in fact, I'd be flat-out shocked if it has ever seen more than about 3500 RPM. Mom loved the car and the way it felt, but she sure wasn't big on going fast.

The bright red paint is 100% original, with only a touch-up under the left front fog light where mom must have "parked by feel" in her driveway. The doors still close with a surprising precision (give them a good slam because the weather seals are still quite supple) and you can see that Ford was building a pretty darned good product in 1992. And while people love to put cowl induction hoods, spoilers, and stripes on their Fox-body Mustangs, this one has none of it, remaining 100% stock, right down to the luggage rack on the trunk. The sun is tough on red paint (and this car spent a lot of time in the sun), but thanks to an extensive recent detailing and professional buff, it shines up beautifully with only the lightest signs of fading on the urethane front bumper. The black trim isn't chalky or faded and the original headlights are crystal clear (they tend to get cloudy with age). Heck, you can still see the original dealer's sticker on the trunk lid—they're out of business now, but the decal remains. I would even wager those are still 1992 windshield wipers on there.

The handsome gray cloth interior is likewise very well preserved, with no rips or tears in the upholstery, and since mom only weighs about 97 pounds, the seats remain firm and comfortable. This car has every single available option for 1992, including power windows and locks, ice cold air conditioning, cruise control, a power driver's seat with lumbar control, power mirrors, and a decent-sounding AM/FM/cassette stereo system. The carpets show a little age, but again, nothing is damaged or threadbare, just discolored, and the leather on the steering wheel is like new. Everything works, including all the gauges, the stereo, and the windows, and the only notable demerits are that the map pocket elastic is shot and the ash tray lid has come loose—it's not broken, so it should be able to be reinstalled properly. The black power convertible top spent about 80% of its life in the down position, so it's in very good condition with only some sun fading on the underside, which is understandable. The original boot fits well (the top was redesigned in 1990 to make a lower profile stack) and the trunk is unmarked with the original spare tire and jack assembly stowed under the floor.

The Mustang's 5.0 liter V8 really needs no introduction—powerful, reliable, and easy to work on thanks to a massive aftermarket dedicated to making it faster. Fortunately, you can tell this one is almost 100% stock save for a K&N air filter I stuck in there myself back in, oh, 1995. This engine is so stock it still has the rubber boot over the distributor, the factory lift brackets on the exhaust manifolds, and even original hose clamps and protective sleeve on the upper radiator hose. All the stuff that hot rodders modify or toss is still here, 100% untouched. Experts will spot the strut tower brace, another part that I installed to help the car feel more rigid (it really helps!). There's also a matching G-load brace under the engine cradle and some weld-in subframe connectors, all of which make this GT ragtop feel considerably more solid than most. The engine has been properly maintained, with mom dutifully getting the oil changed every spring (she never managed to rack up more than 1000 miles in a year, so even the ridiculous 3000 mile interval was too long). Like I said, finding a 5.0 Mustang this original and unabused is none too easy these days.

The 5.0 is linked to Ford's reliable AOD 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission, which isn't the performance liability that you think. It's pretty snappy and when you put your foot down, it'll drop down a gear (or two) and let the torque take over. In regular use, it's totally unobtrusive and acts like it was tuned for a Lincoln Town Car, and since mom felt this one didn't quite have the snap of her '87 GT, we installed some 3.55 gears out back to wake it up a bit. Nothing radical, just a little more oomph around town. The suspension and brakes are still original equipment, with only a fresh set of brake pads installed sometime in the last five years. There's no critical rust, just surface scale on the heavy metal parts and the original dealer undercoated the thing, so it looks a little grungy but there are exactly zero issues. And I'm pretty sure that's still the original exhaust system under there—it sounds right. Factory 16-inch "Pony" wheels are in excellent shape with only a few very minor scuffs and those 225/55/16 Michelin radials are likely only the second set of tires this car has ever worn.

My mom's moving to a new place where she doesn't have room to store the Mustang any longer, so she's very reluctantly selling it. I thought about keeping it for myself for sentimental reasons (and where else can you get this much car with so few miles for so little cash?) but since I have a 5.0 Mustang sitting in the garage that I rarely use, it didn't make sense. Instead, this is your chance to pick up the most gingerly driven 5.0 Mustang in the universe, one with a lady owner who adored the car, and with incredibly low mileage and no modifications. Good luck finding a better one—call now!