History of the Ford Mustang

Even though the 1972 Ford Mustang did not look much different on the surface than its predecessors, upon digging deep it was easy to see that many changes were made. By 1972, Ford had lost some market share and the Mustang was looking to make up some ground. Click here to read more about the 1972 Ford Mustang

By the time the 1969 Ford Mustang was ready to hit the streets, this model had lost some of its mystique. Simply put, Ford was in a “put up or shut up” position. Fortunately for them, they put up in a big way. The 1969 Ford Mustang was a huge hit, and many of today’s car enthusiasts consider the model to be a classic. Click here to read more about the 1969 Ford Mustang

As Ford was getting ready to debut its 1965 Mustang, including the 1965 Ford Mustang convertible, the company was confident that it had a winner. Of course, they had to let the country know just how much this amazing car had to offer. This led to a large scale marketing blitz that eventually made this sports car one of the most well known and discussed from one side of the US to the next. Click here to read more about the 1965 Ford Mustang

One issue that the 1972 Ford Mustang ran into was under the hood. New emission standards that were stricter than the past were put into place. In turn, this meant reduced compression in all Mustang engines. Along with this, all automakers had to measure horsepower in SAE net instead of SAE gross. While this did not actually change the power of the car, on paper it made the Mustang look worse.

With all these changes, the V6 engine was left with 95 net horsepower. Along with this, the popular two barrel 302 V8 saw its horsepower decreased to 136. The 351’s also ran into some changes with the two barrel down to 168 horsepower and the four barrel to 275 horses.

Although performance enthusiasts were disappointed, Ford made up for this midway through the year by re-releasing the popular HO 351 engine.

Transmission options for the 1972 Ford Mustang included a three speed manual – this was standard. A four speed and Cruise-O-Matic were optional. Some models included the 1972 Mustang convertible and 1972 Mustang mach 1.

Although some were disappointed with the HO, Car and Driver had no problem praising the 1972 Ford Mustang. “It’s big and it’s self-assured. Everything is massive. When you lean on the Hurst lever…you can feel about 10 pounds of brass synchronizer rings and steel hubs sliding into position…. There is little demand for finesse, only machismo…. The HO doesn’t really feel like a high-performance engine at all. You don’t have to wait for the good part of the torque curve. It’s there all the time — flat rather than peaky like the old Boss 302s.”

The HO had the ability to go from 0-60 in 6.6 seconds. It could also do the quarter mile in 15.1 seconds at 95.6 miles per hour.

Perhaps the biggest point to make about is that the HO was available in any 1972 Ford Mustang for the affordable price of $119. That being said, there were other required options that bumped up the overall cost.

With sales sluggish from the start, Ford was well aware that mid year changes were necessary. Although the 1972 version may not be as popular as many other Mustangs, it still has a large following and is considered a classic by many.

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The 1969 Mustang Coupe design is not one that will be forgotten any time soon. When it comes to a classic muscle car appearance, this vehicle has everything you could possibly imagine. Believe it or not, work for the 1969 Mustang began within Ford as early as 1965. This probably explains why the car was so well received, and of course, why it has held up to the test of time.

When compared to past models, it was easy to see that the 1969 was the largest Mustang yet. While the wheelbase stayed at 108 inches, the overall length of the car took off and grew to 187.4 inches. Along with this, the width increased to 71.3 inches. The only thing that got smaller within the 1969 Ford Mustang was the height, which fell to 51.2. That being said, a lower height gave this car its sporty appearance.

Just like all early Mustangs, the 1969 came in many styles and models. To start, there were two V6 engines – the 200 with 115 horsepower and the 250 with 155 horsepower. The base V8 engine still offered 220 horsepower, but the big block could put out 320 horses. Placed in between the two V8s that Ford lovers had come to known were two additional 351 small blocks. The top of the line engine in the 1969 Ford Mustang was the Cobra Jet 428 with 335 horsepower.

The 1969 Mustang Mach 1, Boss 302, and Boss 429 were special models that are still highly coveted. While these models came with a higher price tag, the performance specs and features led the market during the late 1960’s. Along with this, low production numbers, such as 1,934 of the Boss 429, attracted buyers to the showroom.

The 1969 Ford Mustang took the automotive industry by storm. Although the Mustang had been around for several years, this model is one that sticks out among the crowd.

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Although the 1965 Ford Mustang shared many parts with the Ford Falcon, it was anything but a clone. By simply looking at the two cars it is easy to see that the Mustang is much sportier – this is what made the car so popular in the 60’s and what has kept it a classic for so many years.

One of the brochures used by Ford to sell the car says it all: “The Mustang with its galvanized structural members and torque boxes is designed for strength and rugged support of both chassis and body components. The uninterrupted tunnel which runs straight through the center of the platform from the toe-board to the rear axle kick-up gives firm support, and the whole structure is reinforced by a practical use of ribs and reinforcements.”

As you can see, Ford believed that this car was more than just a sports machine. They also played up the fact that it was built to last and durable enough to suit the reliability needs of Americans.

The base 1965 Ford Mustang had a 101 horsepower V6 engine that it shared with the Falcon. Of course, you know that this was only one option. The car also came with four different V8’s – a feature that helped to take this car to new heights. The options included: 260 with 164 horsepower, 289 with 195 horsepower or 210 horsepower, and finally the hi-performance 289 with 271 horsepower.

The 1965 Shelby was a limited edition Mustang that offered even more than the models detailed above. Most notably was the race ready 1965 Ford Mustang gt with up to 360 horsepower. This car was put into production to be a “Chevrolet Corvette beater” and many people agree that Ford was successful.

Options for the 1965 Ford Mustang ran deep. The first choice was automatic or manual transmission. From there, buyers decided on power steering, power brakes, tinted windows, whitewall tires, wheel covers, and of course, air conditioning.

The 1965 Mustang is one of the most popular cars ever produced by Ford.

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