Vehicle Description
For years, Jack Roush was the brains behind most of Ford's fastest
cars, both on and off the track. When he turned his sights towards
a street-legal Mustang, cars like this awesome 1997 Ford Mustang
Cobra Roush Stage 2 Convertible were the result. Big power,
eyeball-flattening cornering, and a unique look all added up to a
near-perfect package that delivers real world performance without
compromises. If you want a super-clean SN95 Mustang SVT Cobra with
a whole lot of added pedigree and POP, this is the one to own.
Cobra Mustangs were always something special, and SVT pulled out
all the stops when this car was built. But for Jack Roush, it
wasn't quite enough, so he and his team took these already special
cars and turned them up to '11', adding a Stage 2
performance/appearance upgrade to this particular model. Although
they'd been producing aftermarket parts and outsourcing custom
builds since the late '80s, 1997 was the first year Roush offered
complete vehicle packages in-house at their ROUSH Performance
Products laboratory in Michigan. This mode-year marked the first
official collaboration between Ford and Roush, and as we all know,
the first model of just about anything is a hot collectable. But
when it's as well-preserved as this Pacific Green Metallic Mustang,
and comes complete with all the right documents, well, it's easy to
see why these cars are still so highly cherished by their owners.
Always a sunny-day cruiser and never a daily driver, it shows none
of the usual battle scars and presents in excellent condition
throughout. The paint's in top driver quality condition today after
59K miles logged on the clock, and receipts show that the bumpers
and side skirts were repainted not too long ago, but nevertheless
the finish is uniform, glossy, and only showing very minor signs of
use. The Mustang's shape was augmented by Roush-specific components
like the side skirts/ground effects, side exhaust, and a sculpted
rear valance, coupled with the already aggressive SVT Cobra front
air dam, dual-scoop hood, side vents, and rear wing, melding
together to form one of the slickest, coolest, most aggressive
modern Mustangs ever made. The fact that this SN95 is convertible
only adds to the off-the-charts curb appeal, and with all those
Cobra and SVT badges, nobody is going to want to tangle with this
street brawler. Unlike most Roush cars today, the company was very
reserved with their branding and only attached a small decklid
badge out back, but once everyone hears that exhaust go
full-throttle, there's no mistaking this convertible's
pedigree.
With the Cobra, the interior gets in on the performance act, but
back in the SN95 these cars were still concerned about being
comfortable, too. The standard Mustang leather articulated sport
buckets are supportive and comfortable, and with so few miles only
show minor comfort marks, no rips or tears like most 25+ year old
cars on the road today. Similar Saddle leather adorns the door
panels and the back seat, plush tan carpets line the floors, and a
Saddle convertible roof seals the cabin up nicely, tying in the
whole car together. Like the exterior, the interior is in great
shape with only the very slightest signs of someone sitting behind
the leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, and the bright white SVT
gauge just ahead of it are still crystal clear and very legible.
This Cobra came loaded with the Preferred Equipment Package that
added a Mach 460 AM/FM/CD stereo and factory alarm, but every other
accessory Ford could install came standard, so things like power
windows/locks/seats/mirrors/top, A/C, cruise control, and dual
airbags are all in tow. Jack Roush's signature and a serialized
Roush plate on the center stack show off just how special this
Mustang really is, while the dogleg 5-speed shifter is the funnest
part of the entire cabin - practically taunting you to jump in and
bang it around. There's even a decent trunk out back with space for
two passengers' luggage, perfect for road trips.
These early SVT Cobras weren't much different under the skin than
standard Mustang GTs, but with the addition of the Roush Stage 2
handles like a true sports car and sounds fantastic. The
numbers-matching 4.6L DOHC 32-valve SVT V8 bellows out 305
horsepower and an equal amount of torque, and when matched up with
the 5-speed manual gearbox, it's a whole lot of fun out on the
road. With less than 60K miles it's still running great today, and
the engine bay has been nicely detailed and well-cared for since
new, boasting only 2-owners and an incident-free Vehicle History
Report. Roush offered upgraded springs, struts, and shocks that
help keep it planted to the road, along with an upgraded H-pipe
dual exhaust system that exits through the side skirts and sounds
fantastic. Massive brakes were part of the Cobra package from Day
One, and this one benefits from things like 4-wheel ABS and power
rack-and-pinion steering, so performance is impressive. Flashy
17-inch cast-aluminum wheels finish the package and wear grippy
245/45/17 Goodyear Eagle GT radials with plenty of tread left.
Offered with its original window sticker, Roush paperwork, a Marti
report, and maintenance records, this modern classic checks a lot
of boxes. Are these cars super collectable yet? With performance,
an awesome look, and limited, first-year production, I wouldn't bet
against this SVT Cobra Roush Stage 2 convertible. Call today!
