It wasn’t that big a deal among motor heads. In the stripped version, it was a secretary’s car. Loaded with options, doctors’ wives went crazy over them. In a couple of years when more horsepower was offered, they became more respectable but, with the exception of the 428 and 429 motors, not on the level of the big block Mopars or GM’s.
Well, the Hi-Po 289 engines were the cat’s meow. They weren’t big block engines, but they had that crackling exhaust note and there were gearheads that appreciated small block engines (and you can throw in the Boss 302 and Chevy Z28 302’s in the overachieving category).
The 289 HiPro in a 1965 Stang, was pound for pound every bit a street fighter. No one wanted any part of me and my 65 in HS in the mid 70’s. And if you wanted to try me on the freeway, good luck with that too!