2003 Ford Mustang

2003 Ford Mustang Overview

The Mustang Mach 1 returned to the Mustang lineup in 2003. It featured a ram-air “Shaker” hood scoop and a V8 engine capable of producing 305 hp. Meanwhile the team at SVT gave us a supercharged Mustang Cobra with 390 horsepower. A few other special editions joined the pack also while the base cars had a more carryover year again. Ford Mustang were 153,367 units in 2003.

Model:	2003 Ford Mustang
Generation:	4th Generation Mustang
Type:	2 Door
Body Styles:	Coupe, Convertible
Engines:	3.8L EFI V6, 4.6L SOHC EFI V8, 4.6L DOHC EFI V8, 4.6L DOHC Supercharged V8
Original Price:	$18,240 (Base Coupe), $23,940 (Basic Convertible)
Units Produced:	153,367

Additional 2003 Mustang Research: 2003 Research Center / Colors Details / Production Numbers / Prices & Options / Sales Brochures / Owner Manuals / Maintenance / Pictures / Videos / VIN Decoder / Special Editions

Background & Details

The 2003 Mustang was a weird year. You had almost no major design changes coupled with some decent other upgrades on base Mustangs, but then Ford rolled out some special editions and hit it out of the park. Odd year. Ford supercharged the Cobra and revived the Mach 1 moniker as well as launched several anniversary versions, all in one year.

Upgrades for the 2003 Mustang includes a better sound system. You can get the Mach 1000 6 cd player, AM/FM radio which had 4 mid range 60 watt tweeters, six 85 watt subwoofer amps and two trunk mounted sub woofers, totaling 1140 watts of power. The radio is equipped with a speed sensitive volume control so the faster you go, the louder the radio (very cool). The 2003 V6 base Mustang got the hood from 1999 and 2001 Cobras with a small rear-facing scoop.

The Pony Edition Mustang was added to the nationwide lineup in 2003, after being a Florida-only edition in 2001 and 2002. It was a V-6 with the raised GT hood scoop, Stampeding Pony door graphics, polished 16″ wheels, and black bumper inserts.

An interior upgrade package was added for 2003, and included larger headrests and silver interior enhancements like the shifter ring, door lock soldiers, and instrument bezel. A Bright Wheel option was available, but this was nothing more than the chrome 1999 and 2001 Cobra wheel with Mustang centercaps.

Added to the color options are Dark Shadow Gray and Redfire as well some other colors for the special editions.

The base V6 with its 193 horsepower was an ok performer with decent mileage. A good base engine but nothing more. The 2002 4.6 liter V8 engine that put out the same 260 horsepower with 9.4 high compression and a 3.27:1 axle ratio.The Mach 1 package featured a 305 horsepower, DOHC (dual over head cam) version of the 4.6 liter aluminum modular engine. Speaking of engines, the top dog was the beast in the Cobra which was a supercharged version of the 4.6 liter DOHC V8 that made way more power than its advertised 390 horsepower.

The 2003 Mustang also saw the return of the formidable Mach l a classic favorite, not seen in serious form since the 70’s. In June of 2002, 2003 Cobras were available with a new supercharged 4.6L DOHC V-8 and six speed manual transmission with 390 horsepower on tap (conservatively). It was known as the “Terminator”. Special badging for the 10th anniversary special Cobra plus unique wheels and restyled front and rear bumpers completed that transformation.

Special Edition Models & Variants

In 2003, the Mach 1 returned with a bang. It can be noticed anywhere with the return of the shaker hood scoop, while underneath the ram air scoop channels fresh air to the intake, increasing power and torque for the Mach 1. Just above the rocker moldings runs a low gloss black stripe also identifying the Mach 1. The interior features increased lateral support and comfort weave black leather seating, also reminiscent of past Mach 1s. Standard is the Mach 460 six-disc in-dash CD changer audio system. Under the hood is a 4.6L, 32 valve dual-overhead-cam V-8, which exceeds more than 300 horsepower.

GT

Dark Shadow Grey and Redfire were added to the color options, replacing Mineral Grey and Laser Tint Red. Azure Blue was available for the Mach 1 only. An interior upgrade package was added for 2003, and included larger headrests and silver interior enhancements like the shifter ring, door lock soldiers, and instrument bezel. A Bright Wheel option was available, but this was nothing more than the chrome 1999 and 2001 Cobra wheel with Mustang centercaps.

Learn more about the 2003 Ford Mustang GT

Mach 1

The 2003 Mustang also saw the return of the formidable Mach l a classic favorite, not seen in serious form since the 70’s. The Mach 1 is lowered a half of an inch and has firmer suspension, creating smoother handling. Also as a reminder of the Mach 1’s heritage, 17-inch Magnum 500s are standard. The car was lowered half an inch and had firmer suspension settings. It got a four-valve DOHC 305-hp V-8 engine sitting under a functional Shaker hood scoop. A flat black stripe ran from the scoop to the front of the hood, a black Mach 1 stripe ran the length of the side, the spoiler was painted black, it got rolled exhaust tips like the 2001 Bullitt, and Comfort Weave seats like the original Mach 1. A new version of the classic Magnum 500 wheel was the only option for the 2003 Mach 1. The Mach 1 was available in six colors: Oxford White, Zinc Yellow, Torch Red, Black, Azure Blue, and Dark Shadow Grey.

Learn more about the 2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Centennial Special Edition

Ford celebrated its 100th Anniversary in June of 2003, and made limited edition F-Series Super Duty trucks, Explorers, Tauruses, Focuses, and Mustang GTs to commemorate the event. The 100th Anniversary models only came in black, and included Premium Verona-grain Imola leather seating surfaces in two-tone parchment, and the Mustang got the GT premium package which included 17″ wheels, anti-lock brakes and traction control; dual exhaust; power driver’s seat with power lumbar support; leather-wrapped steering wheel; and Mach 460 AM/FM Stereo with six-disc CD changer, as well as 100th Anniversary badges on the fender and decklid and embossed on the seats. The Centennial Package was a $995 upgrade. Ford made 717 coupes and 1,323 convertibles.

Learn more about the 2003 Mustang Centennial Special Edition

SVT Cobra

2003 Cobras began hitting showrooms in June of 2002 with a supercharged 4.6L DOHC V-8 pushing 390-hp. Two inverted hood scoops extracted heat from the engine, the front and rear bumpers were redesigned, and GT side scoops and a new spoiler were added. The ’03 Cobras had 6-speed manual transmissions. Ten years after SVT introduced its first product–the 1993 SVT Cobra R–they released a special 10th Anniversary 2003 SVT Cobra. The 10th Anniversary Package was available as either a coupe or convertible, and featured unique 17×9-inch dark argent painted anniversary wheels, red leather seating surfaces in the front and rear, interior trim with the appearance of carbon fiber, red painted brake calipers, and SVT 10th Anniversary badges on the floor mats and rear decklid. SVT produced 2,003 units of the Anniversary model, which were available in Torch Red, Black Clearcoat, and Silver Metallic.

Learn more about the 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra

SVT Cobra 10th Anniversary

Marking 10 years as the leader in factory performance products, Ford unveiled the SVT Mustang Cobra 10th Anniversary Package. The 10th Anniversary Package was available as either a coupe or convertible, and featured unique 17×9-inch dark argent painted anniversary wheels, red leather seating surfaces in the front and rear, interior trim with the appearance of carbon fiber, red painted brake calipers, and SVT 10th Anniversary badges on the floor mats and rear decklid.

Learn more about the 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra 10th Anniversary

Specifications, Options & Detailed Stats

Production Numbers

Ford Mustang sales got back to growth in 2003 with sales up 7.52% (153,367 units). In 2003, the Mach 1 returned with a bang and sold 9,652 units. To dive into the model and body splits as well as see charts and percentages, check out our 2003 Ford Mustang Production & Sales Numbers deep dive.

Options and Pricing

The 2003 base Mustang pricing hit the $17,000 mark for the first time at $17,305. Many new packages were introduced like the Deluxe and Premium variants and they were priced accordingly to get Ford to grow profits. For more detailed options and pricing, please check out our 2003 pricing and options research.

Exterior & Interior Colors

A total of 13 colors were available for the 2003 Mustang model year. There were several new colors available for the 2003 Mustang special models including Azure Blue for the Mach 1 and Satin Silver for the Cobra. There were no GT-only colors this year. The other new colors fro 2003 were Dark Shadow Gray and Redfire while Zinc Yellow had its final year of production. Mineral Grey and Laser Tint Red were deleted from the color options list for 2003. For detailed colors, color palettes, codes and interior colors please check out our in depth 2003 colors information post.

Engine Specs

The base V6 engine was back in 2003 in the entry level Mustang. It was still a decent 193 horsepower. The 4.6 liter SOHC was once again used to power the GT, good for 260 horsepower. The Cobra returned with its epic 390 hp supercharged 4.6L DOHC V8. For more information on engines for 2003, you can find the information here.

Dimensions & Weight

Dimensions and weight were unchanged for the model year 2002 cars.

Performance

Below is the performance data for the 2003 Mustangs that we could find. Below we have included 0-60 mph times, 0-100 mph times as well as quarter mile times and top speed where available.

VIN Information

This link will take you to a page which contains the VIN tag information for all years of Mustangs. Previously this information appeared on each Mustang’s year page, but consolidating it has significantly reduced page loading times. To decode the build sheet, check out our 2003 VIN & Data Plate Decoder sheet.

Videos & Picture Galleries

We managed to find some great video reviews of the 2003 Mustang so definitely check those out. We also have a picture 2003 Ford Mustang Picture Gallery and photos of real Mustangs in each color that was available.