Great River Road

MISSISSIPPI MEANDERING

Maria timed the purchase of her black beauty nicely as Cobra car prices snake upwards. And even though the fourth-generation Mustangs had been completely overshadowed by the fifthgeneration retro Mustang that came out in 2005, prices for the Fox Bodies, and especially the fourth generation, have surged.

Maria encourages me to take it for a drive along State Highway 6 to Blenheim and back to Motueka. Right from the start, I am impressed at how easy it is to drive this classic car. It is the first left-hand-drive manual car I have driven, and apart from a few minutes spent getting used to it, it is quite straightforward. It is clear almost immediately that this car is as happy driving around town as it is roaring along the open road. One quick burst through the gears and it is apparent why the last owner collected so many speeding demerit points. The gear lever is a little bit notchy but engages relatively quickly every time. The exhaust note is a pleasure in itself and surely helped to lure the previous owner into ticket territory.

Travelling the windy roads between Blenheim and Nelson, the car’s only noticeable bad manners are that the rear end jumps around a little bit under power on some of the rougher corners, a telltale legacy of its antiquated live rear axle — something that was fixed in 2000 when Mustangs gained an independent rear end.

On the way back to Motueka, I strike Nelson in rush hour. It is stop-go traffic for about 30 minutes, and despite the clutch work required, I never manage to stall the car once. Idling along with the stereo and the air-conditioning for company lessens the frustration of being parked on a 100kph road.

In the two years that Maria has owned the car, it has never let her down. The only major job has been to replace the rear brake calipers as they were sticking. She has no intention of selling the car this time and is looking forward to using it on long trips around New Zealand.