Controversy
The front-drive Probe Mustang that nearly happened.
In the late 1980s, Ford seriously explored replacing the rear-drive Fox Mustang with a front-drive Mazda-based coupe. Fan outrage helped turn that car into the Ford Probe instead.
Why it mattered
- Ford had a real business problem: sporty-coupe buyers were looking hard at Japanese and European rivals, and a Mazda-linked front-drive platform promised lower cost and modern packaging.
- The ST-16 program was widely reported as the next Mustang after an AutoWeek story surfaced the plan in 1987.
- The backlash centered on three sacred Mustang points: rear-wheel drive, American identity, and available V8 power.
- Ford kept the Fox Mustang alive, sold the ST-16 as the Ford Probe, and later gave the SN95 Mustang a heavily revised Fox-derived platform.
- The episode is one of the clearest examples of Mustang enthusiasts changing Ford's product direction.