Are you still laughing at the title? I know, but keep in mind in the Mid 70’s, after a couple of years of low powered 4 and 6 cylinders, the V8 returned to the Mustang!!!! If nothing else it laid the ground for some of the best-selling and now very sought after Fox body ‘stangs. But we are going to discuss the cars before the Fox-body generation.
Model names like Ghia, 2+2, Mach 1, Cobra, Cobra II and King Cobra and cool stuff like T-Tops and front air dams and hood scoops.
It all started in 1974 when the Ford Mustang became the Mustang II and yes in some case you wouldn’t be able to pick them out of a pile of Pinto. You all know the story…EPA, emissions, gas prices, etc.
I’ve mentioned that there was a Mustang II in the family, back in 1978, it was a 1974 Mustang Ghia the 4 cylinder version. It met its demise one evening when a Ford Econoline Van took out the rear end while it was parked (after it careened over VW parked behind the ‘stang.
1974Ghia
So let’s take it year by year and cover the most “powerful” cars of 1974 to 1978.
1974:
The most powerful engine for 1974 was the V6. This was an option for all models but standard for the Mach 1 for that year. (The Mach 1 was hatch back.)
The Mach 1 – Hatch Back
The Mach 1 was powered by 2.8 L – 171 cid, V6, 2bbl, 105 hp (‘Z’ code) – the biggest engine available for the Mustang II that year (the other was the option was the I-4 2.3 L – 140 cid, 2bbl, 88 hp (‘Y’ code).
Sales for 1974 worked out like this:
69F Hatchback: 74,799
69R Hatchback – Mach 1: 44,046
60F Coupe: 177,671
60H Coupe – Ghia: 89,477
Total Production: 385,993
Thanks for reading.
Tim
