Posted on 04/08/2014 4:27:41 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
When the Ford Mustang was introduced 50 years ago this month, it was first to break from the gate in a market class that would come to be known as pony cars.
With a long hood and a short rear deck — proportions carried forward by the Chevrolet Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda and many others — the Mustang looked ready to bolt. And bolt it did, as 22,000 wowed Americans placed orders for the car on April 17, according to Ford, the official first day of sales.
Naming the car for a horse proved to be a stroke of marketing genius. Not just any horse, mind you (a car named Clydesdale might never have been so popular) but one that conjured images of rugged wild horses roaming the American West: The drama that imagery invoked was supported by the car’s fresh style and a galloping steed front and center in the grille.
Underneath, the Mustang was essentially Ford’s Falcon, a solid compact that was available with V8 power and a 4-speed manual transmission. Those underpinnings were enough to get the pony car sales competition off to a fast start.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The first year of the Ford Mustangs was my first time in autocross competition. I lost to a Triumph and Cobra, and beat every time submitted by dozens of drivers that took advantage of a Miami Ford dealer's three "loaned" (free) Ford Mustangs.
I competed back then, with my 36-HP VW 1960 Karmann-Ghia!
:)
Got on the AC Expressway with it, never felt a bump in the road at all. Use to cruise to the shore with it on weekends. The old ‘75 was a sweet cruiser. SS Titanic, but boy was it comfortable.
The 92 is nice too; they called it a “Sport Sedan”, and it’s a lot tighter than the older ones. I would have liked to have gotten the SSEi version, but the $$$ wasn’t there.
You left out the part about the Corvettes that always lost
The Barracudas were pretty cool, too.
LOL
I had a 1973 Chrysler Newport in the late 80s. They had started downsizing cars by then and the Newport was a beast. I was at the gas station one day and I guy came up to me and said “that sure is a big car”. LOL Yes, it was. You could put several bodies in the trunk of that thing. I hate the new small cars.
“Yes, newer vehicles are nice. But if given the option, would you really not prefer to own and drive a more classic vehicle?”
I have the option and I go with ‘newer’.
I was planning for my retirement to restore a classic but now the ‘newer’ is better.
I guess I am soft in my old age. Nice seats, nice stereo, GPS, a quarter mile in the twelves and 20+ mpg on the highway.
“...that sure is a big car...”
Hahah!! head that a LOT back in the 70s!
I picked up a 1979 Chrysler New Yorker from a police auction some years back. Had 56K miles on it (hard, cop miles, and a LOT of idling time), but it was a highway interceptor car - black, with the blue interior, 360 engine, handling package. That thing was a beast. I drove it for three years, put another 50 or 60K or so on it, and it finally threw a rod bearing.
But yeah... they WERE big cars, and they rode like a dream.
Solid is the word ... that’s what they “felt” like when you slammed the door or the trunk, just a good, solid “THUNK!” when it closed.
I’ll take vintage 60s-70s cars any day.
Always like old Buick Wildcats too, and the Oldsmobile Dynamic and Delta 88s.
“Something wrong with your car? Good luck fixing it, there’s bunches of sensors and wires that could be causing the issue, “
I ran my 2000 GT HARD for 125k miles .... Problems? NADA.
My 2008 Bullitt problems? NADA.
Major maintenance for both consists of changing the gas and air filters.
Those were the days, my friend...
in 1964 i was a junior on high school and my dad purchased a 1964 falcon convertible (bumble-bee yellow with black interior) obstensibly for my mom and I to share but she rarely got a chance to drive it. with a little 260 v-8 and 2-speed automatic it was quick enough to get in trouble and it parked extremely well.
Here’s a neat site I found.
http://www.desertclassics.com/index.html
Lots of old muscle and classic beauties sitting in this place... little rust, as its in the desert.
Here in PA, if we find an oldie, it’s usually a rust bucket.
“..the Mustang was essentially Ford’s Falcon, ..”
I have a book somewhere in my collection, where it talks about the development of the ‘Stang; they showed a shadow silhouette of the Falcon superimposed on the Mustang, and vice-versa. They were pretty damn close.
It was the right car at the right moment for Iacocca. He had a winner.
My favorite body style is the 1967-1968 fastback. Glad that when Ford decided to retro the new ones, they used that as the basis.
69-70 were pretty badass looking too.
i had a 69 mach 1 for a while, 'til i crashed it. About the only thing remaining was the little chrome "1" ... i drilled a little hole in it an carried it on my keychain for years afterwards.
“...an carried it on my keychain for years afterwards...”
Guardian Angel on your shoulder brother...
The Boss 351 and Boss 429s were sweet machines.
I loved the fact that you could have so many V8 engine choices in those cars... 260, 289, 302, 390, 427 then 428, cobrajet, 429 Supercobrajet...
It just added to the mystique.
The Mustang II 74-78 was pitiful.
And the two different 351 configurations too - 351 Windsor and 351 Cleveland...
My next door neighbor has a canary yellow javelin.
2 of my boys share a 72 grand Torino (same year as the movie of the same name). They have a 351 Windsor bored/stroked to 427 that was not the original engine. And the original Cleveland which is back in it and is closer to stock. They have throttle body FI replacing the carb on a four bbl manifold tied into the ignition (a kit including FI, distributor and an O2 sensor tied to a computer). It makes the engine run perfect at all speeds and loads. it cranks well for a 351
Do you happen to know of the site that lists every car ever made? I saw it here quite a while back, and I can no longer find it. I wanted to print a picture of every auto my Dad owned, and give it to him in a little scrap book.
Thanks NFHale, maybe someone remembers the site I am looking for.
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