Although Ford realized the 1980 Mustangs had some engine issues and had dropped in sales since the 1979 Mustang they ran into more problems in 1981. The sales dropped even more and only 182,552 Mustangs were sold in the '81 model year. Due to the engine problems of the previous year there were some engines that were simply not offered in 1981.One of the biggest changes in 1981 was perhaps the introduction of a new VIN, Vehicle Identification Number, system.
Overall the 1981 Mustang was much like the 1980 model, it just had fewer engines to choose from. Unfortunately, 1981 was not the successful year Ford had been hoping for.
1981 Mustang Lineup
Powertrain and Performance
As far as power and performance were concerned the 1981 Mustang was not so different than the year before. Yes, some engines were not issued this model year to counteract mechanical problems and some other changes occurred as well. These included a five speed manual transmission and the T top roof option was still available. The new transmission had the option of being connected to a Traction Lok rear axle. This controlled wheel spinning and axle hopping because it reduced slip differential. Beyond this consumers really couldn't tell a big difference in the 1981 Mustang and the 1980 Mustang.
The engine lineup offered in 1981 was different than the year before due to the elimination of the turbocharged engine. As a result the most powerful Mustang engine in 1981 was the 4.2L V8. Base model Mustangs still used the 2.3 liter engine with 88 horsepower and four cylinders. The next strongest engine was the 3.3L V6 that still only boasted, if you could call it boasting, 94 horsepower.
Exterior
The popularity of the 1979 Indy Pace Car replicas still managed to affect the Mustang design in 1981. The T tops that were used on the actual Indy pace cars became an option on the hatchback. This resulted in the hatchback outselling the coupe for the first year in Mustang history. This first time resulted in an amazing trend because the hatchback would outsell the coupe for the next 12 years.
The T top roof was on the options list for the 1981 Mustang as well as a hood scoop, but even this could not keep sales up. Beyond this option the exterior of the 1981 Mustang looked very similar to the year before.
The exterior color options in 1981 included the following colors: red, bittersweet glow, polar white, black, pastel chamois, bright bittersweet, midnight blue metallic, bright red, medium pewter metallic, bright yellow, medium blue glow, dark brown metallic, light pewter metallic, and dark cordovan metallic.
The tu tone color combinations for the 1981 Mustang exteriors included polar white/bittersweet glow, bittersweet glow/black, bright bittersweet/black, red/black, red/polar white, bright yellow/black, pastel chamois/black, dark cordovan metallic/black, medium pewter metallic/light pewter metallic, light pewter metallic/black, and medium pewter metallic/black.
Interior
Just looking inside the 1981 Mustang would not really give away that it was any different than the year before. The interior color options were black, vaquero, wedgewood blue, caramel, red, and pewter. There were some nice factory options consumers could choose to tailor the car to their needs and preferences.
Some of these options included tinted windows, a rear window defroster, leather wrapped steering wheel, and an AM radio or an AM/FM radio with the option of an 8 track or cassette tape.
Final Thoughts
Ford was hoping for a good year with the 1981 Mustang that did not really happen. Sales were down again quite possibly due to the fact of engine misbehavior the year before and the reduction of engine options for the 1981 model year. Regardless, Ford kept pushing the Mustang forward and what started off as a popular new generation with a few sluggish years in the early '80s ended up lasting until 1993.
