Archive for the 'Ford Performance Cars' Category
The Mustang
A vehicle that became a legend all by itself in a class by itself. The Mustang - weather it is a GT, Shelby, or the everyday grocery getter - its name always conjures up the vision of galloping ponies running across the wide open plains. Admit it. If you are honest… you will admit it. So the first Mustang came out in 1964 ½ and a neighbor of mine bought one. I was 11 years old and I hung around with their son who was 10. There was nothing very special in that car. Just a 2 door plain light blue paint, automatic transmission, and a straight 6 engine mode of transportation, but wow! The emblem on the grill of the running horse was all it took.
What a future was in store for this “Pony Car”. A race inside of a race for the muscle car. Falling further away from the huge production cars of the early 60’s and into smaller, faster automobiles.
Sales on the Mustang took off with over 2 million sold in the first two years of production. A large variety of options, body styles and engines - the pony was here to stay.
Additions of a fastback style, and Shelby models and 6 different engine types were just a few things that allowed you to make this horsey your own. I think this is why the “Tang” was so very popular with the younger car buyers of the day.
1969 saw a larger Mustang brought into being. Along with the Mach 1 option. We got to meet the Boss 302 and 429. A new Sports roof, Coupe, Grande and Convertible now grace the showrooms and don’t forget the many, many options available to suit every need.
As we all sadly know, the 70’s slowly smothered the free spirit of our dream cars and the Mustang couldn’t out run the trend. Still great style, but less power and a bigger and heaver car. The once snug Mustang had become a larger mid-size car. Still offering seven different engine sizes from the humble 250 c.i. 6 cylinder to the Super Cobra Jet 420 c.i. 375 H.P. mill.
In 1973 however you knew the end was coming when the top engine was a puny 351 engine putting out a tiny 156 H.P. The worst was yet to come, however, when the Mustang II showed up in 1974 and took everything away from the once powerful Mustang. Sometimes I wonder what the car companies were thinking. How could you call the late 70’s imitation of a car a Mustang? Of any kind! Why dishonor the once proud name of the great ones? Ford wasn’t alone in this crime. All the majors did this and I think it was very wrong.
As we all know the Mustang has made a come back, as is the trend in these modern times. The style is back and the performance is back however I still don’t think it is the same. This site is in memory of the older cars. I suppose the “Fast and the Furious” is in all of us young and old, but “Sonny, it just ain’t the same!”
50th Anniversary by Rich Hudson
The car Thunderbird had been around for many years. But sadly in the year 2005, Ford decided to stop manufacturing these vehicles. Coincidentally it was also just around the time of the vehicle’s fiftieth anniversary.
