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Ford Mustang Series 1 |
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Simply put - a great American success story!
The youthful appeal of the car captured the
spirit of the times perfectly, and after its
launch in 1964 it quickly became one of the
fastest selling cars of all time, (over 1 million
sales by 1966).
The result of the famed Lee Iacocca - the vehicle was
based on the standard floorpan of the budget falcon range,
using the same coil spring/wishbone suspension
at the front and leaf springs at the rear. The list of options was immense, allowing owners to c7ustomise
their car to suit their personality. There were V8 motors
ranging in power from 195 to 390 bhp, auto's
and manuals, sports handling packs, disc front
brakes and a vast array of trim options.
The ultimate however was the "Shelby", a Carroll Shelby
sanctioned road racer using the Fastback model and badged
the "GT350". Power was bumped up to 425 bhp and it was
elevated to cult status following the release of the
Steve McQueen film "Bullitt".
Styling changes from 1969 onward, and the preference for
better fuel economy slowly saw the demise of the once
beautiful 'stang'. These models are not as highly sought
as the earlier models and may never be destined to become
a 'classic'.
Also see: The Mustang Story |
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1964 ½
The date was April 17th, 1964. Intermediate sized muscle
cars, with big block engines were gradually replacing the
full sized muscle car. Lee Iacocca, Ford's General Manager,
had always envisioned a small sports car to be the next
hot item in the street wars. More >> |
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1965
The Ford Mustang debuted as a simple sports car powered
by a 170 cid six cylinder and a pair of V8's. Originally
named for the fighter plane, the P-51 Mustang, preliminary
allusions were made to the horse, and the horse motif quickly
became the emblem for the Mustang. More >> |
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1966
1966 saw further refinement of the Mustang. The gauge
cluster was redone to seperate the Mustang from its Falcon
roots while the 260 cid V8 was replaced with 2 and 4 barrel
versions of the 289 cid V8. More >> |
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1967
1967 saw a massive restyle of the Ford Mustang. Changes
included bulkier sheet metal below the beltline, a more
aggressive grill, a concave tail panel, and a full fastback
roofline for the fastback body style. More >> |
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1968
The 1968 Ford Mustang received a simpler grill, side
trim and a limited number of 427 engines were slipped into
the engine bays. These 427 engines were slightly detuned
but still cranked out 390bhp, enough to strike fear on
the streets. More >> |
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1969
The Mustang was restyled for 1969, gaining 3.8 inches
of length, all ahead of the front wheels, and about 140lbs
in curb weight. More >> |
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1970
Both the Boss 302 and 429 continued into 1970. The
428 Cobra Jet continued as the top engine choice for the
Mach 1 Mustang. New for 1970 was the 429 Cobra Jet, standard
in the Boss 429. More >> |
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1971
Ford's decade of "Total Performance" was
drawing to a close. The Mustang grew by 2.1" in length,
2.8" of width, 1" of wheelbase, and about 100
lbs. Coupled with this weight gain was the disappearance
of the Shelby models, the Boss 302 and Boss 429 models. More >> |
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1972
Following industry lead, all power ratings for 1972
and later were listed in net ratings which included all
accessories. This lead to some drastic drops in power listings
which, coupled with the drop of all big block options,
sealed the end of Ford Mustang performance. More >> |
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1973
All engine choices and power ratings dropped once again
as emission controls tightened. New federal guidelines
resulted in mandatory bumpers that could withstand a 5mph
collision, all of which didn't help the bloated body styling. More >> |
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