ADVANCED MUSTANGOLOGY
Zero options — stripped down and ready for business.
producing the Mustang convertibles
during the ’80s. You could not order
your Pace Car with the T-top. That
option would not reappear on the
Mustang until 1981.
The white Mustang pictured was
originally painted Light Pewter Metallic
for the Indianapolis 500. However, it
started life as a white Mustang with a
blue interior. Jack Roush prepped
these cars for pacing by taking three
of the original Introductory Show
Units and modifying the 302 engines.
After the race, Roush returned this car
to a white color, where it saw Pace Car
duties again at the debut of the Detroit
Grand Prix in 1982. Today it resides in
Jack Roush’s museum in Livonia,
Michigan.
>>>>
One of the actual Pace Cars,
returned to its original white
color and residing with Jack
Roush in the Detroit area.
PACE CAR BREAKDOWN
Engine/Trans* U.S. Sales
Canada Sales
Overseas Sales
Totals
F/W
1,775
265
65
2,105
F/5
2,103
291
7
2,401
W/6
5,918
34
2
5,954
W/5
16
0
2
18
Totals
9,812
590
76
10,478
Statistics copyrighted Ford Motor Company and Marti Auto Works. See
www.martiauto.com/statistics for permission to use.
*The V-8 version of the Pace Car has an “F” in
the engine position of the VIN whereas the turbofour will have a “W.” No other engines were
available for the Indy replicas. The automatic
transmission available with the V-8 5.0L was a
C-4 automatic and had a code of “W.” The manual transmission used on the 2.3L was coded as
a “6.” The Overdrive manual transmission used
on the 5.0 was coded “5” as well as the ultrarare one available on the 2.3L.
The quickest way to identify a true ’79 Pace
Car as authentic is the serial number. Ford used
the sequence number as the identifier. Like the
’69 Shelby Mustang, the first two digits begin
with “48,” and even though there were 10,478
Pace Cars built, every one sold to the public
began with “48.” The reason this was possible is
that Ford was once again building Mustangs at
the San Jose assembly plant. Both plants started
numbering Pace Cars from 480001.
Pace Car Mustangs were available with most
of the options available for the regular Mustangs.
You could even order an air conditioner with
your Turbo Pace Car. But 163 buyers must have
been real serious about why they bought their
Indy replicas. They ordered them with no
options. Guess we know who really wanted to
be out in front.
FMM
Marti Auto Works produces The Marti
Report and is licensed by Ford Motor
Company with all of their ’67-later production
records. This information is available as
various reports. Marti Auto Works also has
original invoices for millions of Shelbys and
Mustangs. Visit www.martiauto.com or call
(623) 935-2558 for more info. Email Kevin at
[email protected]. Not all emails will
receive a response.
14 FOXMustangMagazine.com