Why Ford Killed the 390-HP Mustang Pickup Before Anyone Saw It
Pickups and sports cars have had an uneasy relationship over the years, with the idea of a super truck arguably never quite catching on. Sure, there have been notable mentions like the GMC Syclone, a small pickup that could outrun a Ferrari, the Viper-engined RAM 1500 SRT/10, the Dodge Lil’ Red Express, once America’s fastest new vehicle, and various Raptors and El Caminos over the years. But generally, people either get a pickup for hauling, or a muscle car for hauling ass. The idea that Ford would try to mix the best elements of one of its most outrageous Mustangs with a small, agile pickup to create an everyday sports load-lugger may seem unlikely — but it happened.
Ford Never Officially Offered A Mustang Pickup
The El Camino, from its second-generation guise through the fifth, was based on a Chevrolet Chevelle, sold extremely well, and gained a kind of mythical muscle car pickup cult status. Ford had actually created the car/pickup concept first with the Ranchero, but didn’t achieve the sales figures of the Chevy. But despite this, the Blue Oval resisted the temptation to create a Mustang pickup of sorts, which likely could have done very well. The Mustang was a pony car with a clear identity, and Ford clearly didn’t want to tamper with its formula too much.
That’s not to say a Mustang pickup didn’t happen, with a Beverly Hills customization shop named US West Coast Customs building a limited number of pickup trucks based on the first-gen Ford Mustang, titled the Ford Mustero. The Ford F-150 Lightning was a success, especially the second generation of the late ’90s and early 2000s. It was utilitarian at the core but featured a supercharged 5.4-liter Triton V8 engine unique to that model. As a follow-up, Ford decided to look at a more car-like focus with a Mustang powerplant and all-wheel-drive.
The Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin Concept Is A Mustang-Powered Load-Lugger
Proudly called “the world’s first high-performance sport-utility truck (SUT)”, the Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin concept arrived at the 2005 New York Auto Show looking very close to production ready. The vehicle was based on the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, itself a compact truck descended from Ford’s popular SUV of the same name. It came with four doors and largely all the practicality you could expect from an SUV of the time, albeit with a 50-inch-long loading bay at the back. While the standard model had a 4.0-liter Cologne SOHC V6 engine, Ford imagined what it would be like if the powerplant were instead taken from one of the most formidable Mustangs of recent times.
Under The Hood Is a Terminator V8
The concept was designed to take a supercharged 32-valve 4.6-liter DOHC V8 from the 2003 to ’04 SVT Cobra Mustang, a car affectionately known as the Terminator. This unit pushed out a factory-rated 390 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque — more than enough for a small pickup. Power was sent through a six-speed automatic transmission and the Adrenalin’s all-wheel-drive system. The AWD setup had a 60/40 torque split biased to the rear, and was combined with a Roll Stability Control safety system. At all corners were five-spoke 21-inch wheels fitted with 295/45R-21 rubber. To aid handling, SVT-tuned shocks were fitted, along with upgraded springs and front and rear anti-roll bars. Visually, it stood out with shaved door handles and dual exhaust outlets flanking the license plate frame.
The only drawback was that the one-off concept truck never received the Terminator engine it was designed for. Rumor had it that the supercharged engine blew at some point (although this is unconfirmed), and it was instead fitted with a 4.6-liter SOHC V-8 engine and a four-speed automatic transmission. Still, that would have meant it had a respectable 260-odd hp to work with.
Here’s Why The Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin Concept Never Made Production
When the Adrenalin concept was launched in 2005, it seemed like a great idea, but the idea of a Mustang-powered load lugger never materialized. Ford is said to have undergone restructuring, and the Adrenalin was shelved as a result. The fact that a recession was looming and carmakers everywhere were panicking and reshuffling their ranges into safer territory probably didn’t help either.
Ford Went All In With The New Mustang
Ultimately, Ford placed its bets on the new S197 Mustang, a retro-styled model that seemed to single-handedly save the ‘Stang, and in GT form came fitted with a 4.6-liter 300 hp V8. The public loved that car, and recession or not, it served to kickstart the Mustang’s public appeal once again, as well as helping to resurrect the muscle car genre. Ultimately, the production Adrenalin ended up being essentially just an appearance package.
Here’s What Happened To The Show Car
The show car survived and changed hands a number of times over the next few years. Recently it surfaced on Bring a Trailer, selling for $45,000. That’s something of a bargain considering it seemed to sell at RM Sotheby’s for $173,250 a few years before. Unfortunately, whoever owns it won’t be able to drive it much, as it’s not road legal. The last seller also noted that the leather-wrapped steering wheel surrounds an inoperable gauge cluster, the total mileage is unknown, and the radio, seat controls, and power windows do not work. That said, for Ford fans, this is a genuinely interesting part of SVT history, and a glimpse at what a Mustang-powered modern AWD pickup would have looked like.
Sources: Bringatrailer.com
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