Which Mustang variant was the first to use a supercharger from the factory?

The 2003 Mustang SVT Cobra was the first factory-supercharged Mustang variant.

For 2003, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team transformed the SVT Cobra with a supercharged 4.6-liter, 32-valve DOHC V8. The engine used an Eaton M-112 roots-type supercharger producing 8 psi of boost and was rated at 390 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. The car quickly became known by its development nickname, “Terminator.”

This was not simply an engine upgrade. The Cobra received a cast-iron block, forged internal components, a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual transmission, stronger half-shafts, and revised suspension and driveline parts to withstand the extra output. It could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in roughly 4.5 seconds, exceptional performance for the period.

Later factory-supercharged Mustangs included the 2007 Shelby GT500, the 2013 Shelby GT500, and the 2020 Shelby GT500, but those arrived after the Terminator Cobra. The 2003 and 2004 Cobra models are therefore especially important in Mustang history: they established Ford’s modern supercharged production formula before the Shelby-branded era.