S-197 Retro question/opinions

A question ive always wanted to ask a bunch of Mustang fans.

They say the S-197 is retro. absolutley. I agree. ive heard people says its modeled after the 67-68 models. Ive heard 67-70. even heard 71-73. I think its a rounded off clone of the 65-66 fastback. Maybe its a little of all but I would love to hear your opinions of what u think any why.

IMO the 2005-2009 Mustang is the only one that looks better than a 67. The first time I saw one was at the 2004 Seattle Auto show and I wanted it pretty bad. Had to wait till 2008 to buy mine. Gas had gone past $4 a gallon and Mustangs were no longer moving from the lot so the price was right.

agreed bruce, 05-09 style best style

So many people that say they dont like mustangs, but after checking out mine admit its pretty badass

I like them all 05-14. how ever my fave is 13-14. But what years out of the first generation do you think the retro is based from 65-66. 67-68.69-70.71-73?

67-68

I'm not a fan of the rounded tail on the 10-14s, and don't care for the S550s, so I'm holding on to my 07. There are very nice examples of 94-04 when tastefully modified. As for the classics, I like the small body of the Mustang II but I think I'm a minority there.

I think the 05-09s take after certain aspects of the 67-68 and the 69-70. The 71-73s were large vehicles.

46addict said:

I'm not a fan of the rounded tail on the 10-14s, and don't care for the S550s, so I'm holding on to my 07. There are very nice examples of 94-04 when tastefully modified. As for the classics, I like the small body of the Mustang II but I think I'm a minority there.

I think the 05-09s take after certain aspects of the 67-68 and the 69-70. The 71-73s were large vehicles.

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I keep thinking 67. I would agree that you are in the minority about the Mustang 2. I can still remember when it came out and how much older Mustangs became worth when it happened. They were popular because they didn't cost much more than a Pinto and the owners had a "Mustang".

FWIW I did like the Pinto. Owned a 74 and my Mom had a 79. Despite all the bad press they were a well made car.

05-09 is personally my favorite, outside of the classics, the lines look great. I like some styling of the 11-14 mustangs, but dislike the rear end. I think there are nice looking mustang generations out there, but it will be hard to beat the 05-09. I agree with some styling from 67-68 & 69-70

The '05-'09 cars are a clear amalgamation of the '65 through '69 cars. Front end is 65-68-esque, the roof is '65-'66, the taillights are almost copies of the '70 fastback, the over all size is almost spot on the same as the '69-'70.

At times I miss my '05. Maybe I'll get another someday.

I had a '07 and really liked it. I didn't like the rear of the '11-12 but figured if I bought one it would grow on me which it did. I do like the front and the rest of the '11-12s body style which is what I own now. I also like the '65-70s which I owned a '69 GT which I wish I still had.

I like pretty much all years other than the 74-78 of course, and I also don't care much for the SN-95's. All the classics 64 1/2 - 67, 68 - 69's, even the big bodies from the early 70's. Fox's are great, New Edge are great, 05-09 s197 probably my favorite, 10-14 s197 are great too but I agree the rear end is a little funky IMO. The s550's still have not grown on me..

I loved the new edge's from when i was in middle school and wanted one.

The 05-09's are just a dirty guilty pleasure that became a physical being I could have, lol

10-14's are good but IMO just behind 05-09, the rear end got better with the newer tail light swap

Let's hope that the 05-09 S197 starts appreciating in value like the fox bodies did. I am looking at 87-93 coupes now and it is amazing how they are starting to go up in price as more and more time passes... 05-09 and fox body cars are really the only mustangs I like.. ok , I will admit, I love the S550 styling as well, there I said it..

BruceH said:

FWIW I did like the Pinto. Owned a 74 and my Mom had a 79. Despite all the bad press they were a well made car.

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I agree. I had a 76.

As far as the OP's question 67-68. The SN95 was a retro 69-70, especially the "dual cockpit" dash. The front of the car, whether 94-98 or 99-04, not so much at all. The S550 is sort of a mash-up of all of the vintage cars.

Seems like popular opinion I've heard talking to people are...
Facia is 67-68
Fender and door body crease 65-66
C stripe crease in quarters 67-68.
Roofline 65-66 Fastback
Hips (flared out quarter under quarter windows 13-14) 69-70
Tail lights 69-70
Headlights 70 (two horizontal lights on outside of headlights )

I love the 05-09, I my opinion it's the last of the mohicians when it comes to what a Mustang is.
Simple V8 engine, stout drive train and solid axle.
Once they went to the complexity of the DOHC 5.0 they lost me. Too big, no room under the hood and they just got heavier.
I don't think there is a better looking Mustang than the early fastbacks or maybe the S550, however the S550 is a class all it's own.

The only thing I think I'd change about the '05-09 body style was that I wish they would have incorporated the "hip" character line that the '11-14's got. But, when that model debuted nobody else had their "retro" muscle cars out on the market yet so I suppose nobody thought to do that.

ghunt81 said:

The only thing I think I'd change about the '05-09 body style was that I wish they would have incorporated the "hip" character line that the '11-14's got. But, when that model debuted nobody else had their "retro" muscle cars out on the market yet so I suppose nobody thought to do that.

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In a way it was just like when the first Mustang came out. GM answered 3 years later with the Camaro.

I was at the drag strip one time and the guys in the tower were commenting on my car over the speakers. They were wondering when a retro El Camino would come out. My answer was about 3 years after a retro Rancharo. GM is always behind the curve IMO.

I was just turning 6 years old when the 1st generation Mustang was being introduced at the New York State World's Fair.. At any rate, I was instantly so blown away when I saw it for the very first time on TV and have been hooked ever since..

My favorite body style has always been the 65-68 fastback models and can honestly say that no other since then has even come close to having the same impact towards me until I saw the 2003 S197 concept car..

At the time, I still had my 93 SVT Cobra and as much as I liked the Fox body cars, when I saw that S197 concept being introduced for the very first time, it was as though I were reliving all those memories from when I saw the original 65 Mustang for that first time all over again..

Needless to say, that was all it took to persuade me for trading in my 93 Cobra towards my first S197 Mustang back in October of 2004..

Although there are moments I still reminisce about the Cobra.. Every time I get behind the wheel of my current 06 GT, it always puts such a huge smile on my face knowing that I have the Mustang I've always wanted and therefore have no regrets for trading in the Cobra

ghunt81 said:

The only thing I think I'd change about the '05-09 body style was that I wish they would have incorporated the "hip" character line that the '11-14's got. But, when that model debuted nobody else had their "retro" muscle cars out on the market yet so I suppose nobody thought to do that.

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Completely agree with this, I wish someone would make a retrofit sheet metal "hip" for our cars.