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1994 was a big year for the Mustang. After being saved twice in the last ten years from bean counters who preferred the Ford Probe, the car received it’s first significant styling change in 15 years. The SN95 platform has been controversial since the day it was revealed to the public. The car was a darling of the mainstream automotive press, even winning the coveted Motor Trend Car of the Year award.
Ford was attempting to market the ’94 as the second coming of the Mustang.
Many enthusiasts weren’t too sure though. The car was heavier than it’s Fox-body predecessor, and featured several funky new innovations that made it slightly more difficult to modify. The styling too was a classic example of Ford’s “let’s make everything round or oval” philosophy of the 1990’s.
Mention retro styling to any Mustang fan and they likely think of the current S197 Mustang platform, Ford tried to market the SN95 Mustang though as having retro cues, and recapturing the magic of the first car. We recently found this video of a 1994 Mustang commercial. The theme for the car’s marketing campaign initially was “It is what it was, and more.”
The commercial highlighted things like the scoops for the rear brakes, the three bar tail lights, and the horse in the grille, trying to draw a parallel between those styling cues and the original 64 model.
The SN95 was supposed to have styling cues adapted from the original Mustang.
There’s no mention of engines, or horsepower, just some dramatic music, followed by the obligatory 90’s guitar riffs. Then there’s that thing we never understood in 90’s car commercials, the car has to drive on wet tarmac splashing water everywhere. We’re not sure what that was all about, but a lot of auto makers used that back then in their car commercials. Maybe the 90’s were especially rainy, we don’t really remember.
We’re still not sure what cars driving on wet pavement had to do with marketing them, but it was a theme in a lot of 1990’s commercials.
Check out the video, it’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 20 years since this was airing on prime-time TV, and regardless of what you think of the SN95’s this was the car that saved the Mustang name, and got us to where we are today.
