Waiting is a boring process, but it’s a part of life. The good news is that many times it pays off in a big way. Our Pick of the Day is proof of that. You can find this 1,372-mile 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in St. Charles, Missouri. It comes with an owner’s manual, letter from Ford SVT’s sales and marketing manager, and sealed copy of the book “Powered by SVT: Celebrating a Decade of Ford Performance.” The video below shows an exterior/interior tour, the engine starting up, and driving footage.
For decades, one of the biggest complaints about the Ford Mustang was its solid rear axle, which was great for drag racing but left something to be desired on curvy roads. Of course, no matter how potent the Mustang was, more power was always welcome. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) addressed both issues with its series of Cobra and Cobra R models based on the “New Edge” Mustang.
The 1999 Cobra was the first Mustang that came from the factory with an independent rear suspension (IRS) and the 2000 Cobra R had extreme, track-focused styling and a 5.4-liter V-8, but the 2003 Cobra coupled the IRS with more power than both models. Under the composite hood was a hand-built 4.6-liter V-8 with a cast iron block, forged steel crankshaft, forged aluminum pistons, four-valve aluminum heads, and a Roots-type Eaton supercharger with eight pounds of boost that helped crank out 390 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. Like the hardcore Cobra R, the ’03 Cobra channeled its grunt through a more modern six-speed manual gearbox. People who had waited for a more aggressive and better-handling Mustang got it in the “Terminator” Cobra.
Unfortunately, Ford only made this version of the Mustang Cobra for the 2003-04 model years, ending production the same year the New Edge model was discontinued. Given how special the ’03 Cobra was at the time, it seems clear that whoever originally bought the one shown here thought it was worth preserving. It’s certainly been kept away from the road, having only accrued 1,372 miles in the past 23 years. That means there’s also been minimal wear to the Oxford White paint, 17-inch cast aluminum wheels, and Dark Charcoal Nudo leather seats and their Medium Graphite suede inserts. And in case you’re wondering, no — the engine hasn’t been modified. According to the selling dealer, it’s “Completely Stock Down to the Factory Intake, Exhaust and Supercharger Pulley.” A lot of people wait for a car like this in this kind of condition to hit the market. Now the wait is over.
There is one thing that should be changed about this 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra, though: its owner. For $71,995, that person can be you.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
