Mustang Time Line - Page 2 - Ford Forums

Stacy94PGT · 05-19-2003, 01:30

John Colietti, director of Ford high performance operations, takes a spin at the wheel of the current Mustang SVT Cobra at the Ford Dearborn Test Track.

Stacy94PGT · 05-19-2003, 01:34

Created in the early 1960s, the Ford Mustang has graced postage stamps, magazine covers, and lyrics. A look at Mustang history:

1963
Mustang planning begins, but numerous discussions are held before a single sketch is drawn. The goal: make a car that looks like no other with a sweeping hood, sculpted flank and short rear deck to set the Mustang apart. It is eventually scheduled to be built on Ford's Falcon unibody platform.

1964
Ford officially introduces Mustang on April 17. The fastback model debuts on Oct. 1. Standard equipment includes floorshift transmission, full wheel covers, padded dash, bucket seats and carpeting.

1966
Ford begins "refreshening" Mustang annually, pleasing buyers and collectors. For 1966, thin bars -- leaving the galloping horse to float in its chromed rectangular frame -- replace the honeycomb grille texture.

1971
The entire Mustang lineup gets longer and wider -- creating the biggest Mustang ever.

1974-1978
Due to the growing popularity of sporty import coupes, Mustang II enters the market to appeal to those customers conscious of fuel economy during a gasoline crisis. The Mustang convertible is retired until 1983, though the T-top is an option in 1977.

1979
New crisp and clean lines define the fifth generation Mustang, beginning with the 1979 "Fox" platform. The new model is longer and taller than Mustang II, yet 200 pounds lighter.

1983
The Mustang is tweaked to appear faster for 1983 with a rounder nose that reduces air drag, as well as restyled taillights. The first convertible in 10 years returns.

1984
Ford introduces the Mustang SVO.

1987
The Mustang is heavily restyled, with a new "aero-look" body.

1992
The Mach III concept car is introduced. It has carbon fiber body panels sculpted to recreate a long hood, short rear deck and grille-mounted running horse, dual cockpit and three-spoke steering wheel: reminders of the 1965 original.

1993
Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) introduces the Cobra.

1994
Mustang is restyled to evoke the model's heritage and performance tradition, with 1,330 of 1,850 parts changed. The hatchback is dropped.

1999
For 1999, Mustang has a sweeping hood, side scoops and short rear deck that recall the past, while crisp, beveled surfaces invite new interpretation.

2001
The Mustang Bullitt GT is introduced.

2002
The new Mach 1 is introduced.

2003
The next-generation Mustang concept is shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Ford announces that Mustang output will move from Dearborn to Flat Rock.

(Photo)1964 Mustang

Stacy94PGT · 05-19-2003, 01:36

1967 Mustang

Stacy94PGT · 05-19-2003, 01:37

1972 Mustang

Stacy94PGT · 05-19-2003, 01:38

1978 Mustang

Stacy94PGT · 05-19-2003, 01:39

1983 Mustang

Stacy94PGT · 06-18-2003, 08:40

Ford 100: The original pony car inspired passion as well as profits

By RICHARD TRUETT | Automotive News

On April 17, 1964, Ford Motor Co. launched the original Mustang and created one of the most sensational and beloved automobiles of the 20th century.

Few cars have inspired the same passion and worldwide following as Ford's original pony car.

Ford sold a million Mustangs in the car's first 24 months - the fastest time for a new nameplate to sell that number.

The Mustang has become an industry. Businesses are dedicated to manufacturing Mustang-only parts, while others specialize in restorations.

Magazines, books and hundreds of Web sites are dedicated to the car.

Some Mustang models are among the most collectible and valuable post-World War II American cars.

Not bad for a car that was almost stillborn.

Compacts and imports

Though economy cars, such as the Rambler from American Motors, the Valiant from Chrysler Corp. and Ford's own Falcon, were selling well in 1960, they weren't competing directly with nimble European cars.

Ford Division General Manager Lee Iacocca noticed the rising tide of European road-hugging sports cars and the young people who were buying them. Imports sold more than 500,000 units in the United States in 1959, a year in which the total market in the United States came in at just over 6 million.

General Motors was first in 1959 to answer the imports directly with the low-slung, air-cooled, rear-engine Chevrolet Corvair, and it added a sporty Monza version in 1961. The pressure was on Ford to create a sporty youth-oriented car.

Ford Chairman Henry Ford II was reluctant to buy into the Mustang concept. It was only after hard lobbying that he finally approved $75 million to fund the project.

"Understand that on the heels of Edsels and things like that we had to make money on it," says Donald Petersen, who worked as a liaison between engineering and marketing on the Mustang team and would become Ford chairman.

Although the Mustang was not Iacocca's idea or his design, he is generally regarded as the father of the Mustang because, by force of will, he took control of the car and pushed it through to production.

"I think that Lee sensed how big the Mustang's potential could be sooner than anybody," Petersen says. "He really went for it. He never gave up."

According to Robert Lacey's book, Ford: The Men and the Machine, Iacocca in late 1962 had every Ford product lined up next to its Chevrolet competitor. There was a gap next to the Chevrolet Corvair Monza. Then Iacocca invited Henry Ford II to view the lineup. This helped sway the boss.

By early 1963, a Mustang prototype had been built that would become the basis of the production car. It would keep costs down by using much of the Falcon's underpinnings. It was a stylish four-seater with a long hood and a short trunk.

Petersen says Iacocca gets too much credit for the Mustang. A team effort created the car, he says. Donald Frey, a Ford senior product planning manager, and Hal Sperlich, the Mustang's program manager, deserve equal billing with Iacocca, according to Petersen.

A home run

If the Edsel was the textbook example of how to do every possible thing wrong in creating an automobile, the Mustang was the opposite. Ford's designers and marketers struck a chord with the baby boom generation and succeeded beyond anyone's expectations.

"It was the right car for the right time," says Bob Casey, curator of the transportation section of the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. "Unlike later generations, the first iteration had an extremely broad appeal. Even if you got the stripper six-cylinder manual transmission model with no extras, it still looked cool."

Most historians credit the Mustang's styling and price as the main reasons for its success. The styling was the work of Ford designers Gayle Halderman, David Ash and Joseph Oros. The $2,368 base price was $1,000 lower than the closest competition. The car's performance could be anything from mild to wild. A long option list let buyers personalize their cars with everything from a deluxe interior to dual exhausts.

Retired Mazda design chief Tom Matano, father of the Mazda Miata sports car, ranks the original Mustang as one of the top three American car designs of the post-World War II era.

"What made it so special was that it was a very distinctly well proportioned vehicle," Matano says. "Every dimension has good balance. The proportion matches the function. That's become a legend."

Mustang milestones

1964-66: Sold 1 million units more quickly than any other car before or since

1966: Mustang production peaks at 607,568

1967: First face-lift; first big-block engine

1969: Second face-lift; gets bigger

1971: Last face-lift for classic era cars

1974: Mustang II, based on the Pinto, debuts

1993: Mustang gets a major restyling

2005: All-new model with 1967-68 era styling cues scheduled to debut

(Photo)TOP: The original 1964-65 Mustang (a 1966 model is shown) is the car that put the baby boom generations on wheels. ABOVE: The 2005 model will feature design cues from the 1967-68 Mustang. This is a concept.

Ramrod429 · 06-25-2003, 04:06

You forgot the riots in front of some Ford dealers when customers demmanded their Mustangs!
Some dealers back in early 65 had to call the cops after the first few cars went out in minutes!
People were waving money and begging the dealers for cars but they were all gone. All that enthusiasm went in the wrong direction.

Don't think a car will ever repeat that sort of enthusiasm ever again I think !

Stacy94PGT · 04-06-2004, 05:51

Channel4.com.uk

Ford Mustang History

In the early 1960s, the American car makers noted the growing popularity of imported European - and especially British - sports cars and roadsters. Losing sales to the likes of MG, Triumph, Jaguar and Austin-Healey, the then Ford boss Lee Iacocca and product planner Donald Frey came with up a proposal for an affordable, fun sports car that would appeal to the baby-boom generation just entering the car market, and take over from the shelved two-seater Thunderbird. The first prototype, Mustang 1 - named after America's fighter aircraft - was assembled in Los Angeles and featured a steel tube frame with an aluminium body, an integral rollbar, fixed seats but racing-style adjustable pedals and steering, and, unusual for the time, four-wheel independent suspension. Thoroughly state-of-the-art, all the shock absorbers and springs were adjustable and there was rack-and-pinion steering. Power came from Ford's 1500cc V4 engine, front-mid-mounted and tuned for 90bhp with a single Solex carburettor or, in a competition prototype, 110bhp with twin Weber carbs and a crossflow manifold. Mustang 1 had a four-speed transaxle manual gearbox, front disc brakes and weighed less than 1200 lbs; although the engine was small, its light weight ensured a top speed of around 120mph.

A two-seater prototype was demonstrated by race ace Dan Gurney at the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in October 1962; tests at the time put 0-60mph acceleration at around ten seconds and fuel economy at 30mpg. It met with a mixed reception, however; enthusiasts raved about the car, but it was considered too futuristic, unusual and expensive to make to be suitable for mass-market production. Instead, Iacocca ruled that Ford must keep it simple: the production Mustang was to be based on Falcon and Fairlane saloon components, it was to be visually stunning but technologically conservative, and above all, it was to be cheap both to produce and for customers to buy. 1963 saw the longer, wider Mustang II prototype at Watkins Glen, an altogether different car.

MUSTANG 64.5-73

The production Mustang was officially launched in April 1964. A 2+2-seater, it was offered in hardtop coupe form, as a convertible or with a raked fastback bodystyle. The underpinnings were conventional Detroit: a live rear axle with leaf springs and independent suspension up front, and drum brakes all round as standard (discs were optional), though testers praised the car's torsional rigidity and almost European-like handling dynamics. The engine choices ranged from a 100bhp 3.2-litre six-cylinder to a 289-inch (4.7-litre) V8 giving up to 250bhp, and buyers could choose from three- or four-speed manual or three-speed auto gearboxes. Prices started from well under $2,500, as targeted by Iacocca - around half the price of Chevrolet's new Corvette - and buyers could effectively build their own car, pick'n'mixing from the engine, specification and extensive option choices, still quite a novelty. A sportier chassis set-up and later, a GT package were offered - disc brakes, driving lights, sportier trim - but the Mustang was not intended to be a car for the hardcore enthusiast. Ford spent much of the development money it had saved by using recycled Falcon and Fairlane components on marketing: a huge advertising campaign was launched, 100 cars were lent to the American media - and the public loved it. Over 22,000 orders were taken the day it went on sale, and in its first year, over 418,000 Mustangs were sold. By its second birthday, sales had topped the million mark.

Motorsport legend and Cobra-maker Carroll Shelby entered the Mustang scene in 1965, building 36 lightweight, 350(ish)bhp Mustang GT-350 models to compete in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) race series. The Ford-approved Shelby-American GT-350 was then offered in road-going form, producing around 305bhp, enough to compete with the Corvette. In all its variants, the Mustang was a runaway success; it broke all records for sales and new rivals, such as the Plymouth Barracuda, couldn't begin to emulate its success. It effectively gave a name to a whole new class of car and market sector: small, relatively affordable sports cars became known as "pony cars", in tribute to the Mustang's rearing horse badge.

The first freshening-up came in 1965, and Ford wisely resisted the temptation to mess with a winning formula. The honeycomb grille was replaced by a multi-bar mouth, all models received a GT-style dash and there were other minor changes to styling details. The engine range was reduced, with just the six-cylinder and the 289-cubic inch V8 in three states of tune; Shelby continued to offer the GT-350. More extensive changes came in 1966, pre-empting the challenges from the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. Now 2.5 inches wider and half an inch taller, the fastback gained a more sweeping roofline, the convertible was restyled below the waistline to give it a chunkier look, and the taillights now comprised triple-light units.

The '67 model-year Mustang was more aggressive-looking, and it continued to sell like wildfire. Concepts such as the Mach 1 previewed new design touches, and each year brought new options for modification, personalisation and sporting-up of the basic 'Stang, many styled by Larry Shinoda, the designer of the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray poached from GM by Ford in 1969. Shinoda smoothed out the Mustang's nose and developed aerodynamic body kits, spoilers and design features.

(Photo) Mustang Mach 1 concept

Ford took the high-performance model and motorsport programme back in-house in 1969, after an uneasy relationship with Shelby, who felt that he had done all he could with the Mustang after producing the Cobra Jet and GT-500 KR versions - the latter a 400bhp-plus monster with a 428-cu in (7-litre) V8. The Mach 1 went on sale for 1970, with a 5.7 V8 or the 7.0-litre (developing around 300bhp); this had Shelby-developed rear suspension, a limited-slip differential and distinctive air scoops on the bonnet, and became known as "the Shaker". As the Mustang Mk 1 went into its final years, Ford went horsepower-crazy, launching the Boss 302 and then the wider, better-handling Boss 351, with sheer grunt making up for the car's old-tech structure and engineering. But federal emissions controls and noise legislation were closing in, and the final Mustangs suffered from detuning in an attempt to meet the new mandatory requirements.

This softened the blow for Mustang II...

MUSTANG 74-78

Mustang II made its appearance in the era of the energy crisis: customers were, Ford thought, increasingly economy-conscious, and the powerful American cars were losing ground to lighter, smaller European and, increasingly, Japanese imports. Mustang II was also affected by the new, stringent emissions and noise control legislation: all in all, it was underpowered and unexciting. The four-cylinder 2.3-litre entry-level engine, with just 100bhp, struggled badly and even the 2.8 V6 - with the engine later used in the Capri - barely managed to scramble from 0-60mph in 14 seconds. Iacocca ordered the Mustang II to be smaller and lighter than before, but costs still had to be kept down; it was therefore built on the same basic platform as the budget Pinto, albeit with a modified chassis and retaining its live axle rear suspension layout. Around a foot shorter than the original car, it nonetheless ended up heavier, despite the smaller engines, and the new front-biased weight distribution meant that the handling was nose-heavy, to say the least. Initial sales hardly reached the frenzy of early Mustang-mania, but at least the OPEC-triggered oil shortage meant that a number of buyers were prepared to sacrifice performance for economy.

Things picked up a bit in '75, with the return of a V8: the 302-cu in block returned, though it was rendered pretty anaemic by emissions controls (just 134bhp) and was only available with an automatic transmission - acceleration from 0-60mph was a hardly inspiring 10.5 seconds. Arguably more interesting was the option of a Rallye suspension package with the V6 engine, with stiffer springs, wider anti-roll bars and adjustable shock absorbers, which at least improved the handling. Few buyers were attracted to the 'mpg' version, with a revised rear axle and gear ratios and standard catalytic converter: it may have returned up to 34mpg on the highway, good for the time, but it was deadly dull to drive. Catalytic converters became standard in 1976, though the manual gearbox was then offered in the V8; petrolheads remaining true to the Mustang cause resorted to a careful choice of options and the aftermarket tuners.

Ford's own options, for a few years, were largely restricted to styling accessories, such as the Cobra II body kit - offered with four-cylinder models. 1978 brought the King Cobra Mustang II: the 302 V8, four-speed manual transmission, revised suspension, a Venturi carb and ritzy graphics: some 500 were built, and their 0-60 time of just over 11 seconds was marginally more respectable. A series of show cars prepared with Monroe, the shock absorber manufacturer, and finished with wild custom paint jobs helped keep some interest in the range until the all-new Mustang III debuted the following year.

MUSTANG 79-93

Ford did a better job with Mustang III: based on the new 'Fox' global platform, it was longer than before, with a longer wheelbase and roomier cabin, yet it weighed some 200lbs less and had much cleaner, crisper styling. Available in two-door booted or three-door hatchback form, with optional removable targa panels, it again had the live rear axle, but the front suspension was a new MacPherson strut layout; three different suspension set-ups were offered, with a full Special Suspension package available with cast aluminium wheels. Engines remained the same at first, however, so performance was hardly improved; a new, lighter 2.3-litre four-cylinder (140bhp) made up for the continuation of the older unit, now giving barely 90bhp, and a new 3.3 straight-six filled the gap between that and the ageing V8 - detuned further to 120bhp by 1980. A turbocharger upgrade was offered with the new four-cylinder engine, boosting the 0-60 time to just over 9 seconds, but this proved unreliable and, in many cases, virtually undriveable, with horrible turbo lag and an alarming tendency to catch fire. Nonetheless, the Mustang was still credible enough to act as a pace car for the 1979 Indianapolis 500 race, and Ford built 11,000 Indy Pace Car replicas to celebrate; over 350,000 Mustangs were sold in 1980.

Sales dipped in '81, though, to just over 180,000 despite the much-improved manual transmission (with overdrive, effectively giving a fifth gear), the option of a better limited-slip differential which made the car much more predictable and tractable, and a convertible-like T-Top targa. The Capri V8 was dropped from the range. 1982 brought a decent engine back, the 5.0-litre HO (High Output) V8, good for 155bhp - hardly high output by today's standards, or those of the early '70s, but an improvement nonetheless. The convertible returned in 1983, the first proper Mustang soft-top for ten years, and all models received a more rounded nose and restyled taillights. The 3.3 V6 was replaced by a 3.8 V6 (110bhp), the 2.3 turbo was reworked and fitted with electronic fuel injection, which made it more reliable, and the 5.0 V8 was boosted to 175bhp thanks to the addition of a four-barrel Holley carb.

To mark the Mustang's 20th birthday in '84, Ford revived the GT-350 name - though as Carroll Shelby had not licensed this name to Ford, the company had to hastily rename it the 20th Anniversary GT. This model was fitted with the 2.3 turbocharged or 5.0 V8 engines, and came in white with red stripes only; 5,260 were built. The V6 and V8 engines received electronic fuel injection systems, which improved economy and throttle response. The most headline-worthy Mustang development of the mid-'80s, however, was the launch of the SVO, a high-performance model developed by Ford's Special Vehicle Operations division. This came in three-door hatchback form with black or charcoal grey paint only, and had the 2.3 turbo engine, modified to 175bhp with a new intercooler and revised transmission ratios. It managed 0-60 in around eight seconds, and handling was less vague than the standard cars thanks to Koni gas-filled shock absorbers, ventilated disc brakes and low-profile tyres, as well as a useful evolution of Ford's Quadra-link suspension system. Its grille-less drooping nose was the height of fashion at the time, and its spoilers and bonnet air scoops made it the equivalent of Ford Europe's Sierra Cosworth - many a mainstream model was kitted out as a lookalike. The 41C option deleted all non-essential equipment, such as air conditioning and electric windows, and weighed nearly 100lbs less.

The 5.0 V8 was lifted to 210bhp in 1985, and the Turbo boosted to 205bhp; but by now, the Mustang was beginning to struggle again. Ford revised the pricing, but had to detune the SVO to run on new lower-octane petrol, and the Turbo was then dropped in '86. The GT package remained the most popular choice. For 1987, all models received an SVO-style nose and headlamps, the GT gained the SVO's four-link suspension, and improvements to the fuel injection system brought the V8 up to 225bhp and 0-60 in just under 6.7 seconds. Five-speed manual transmission was now standard, but the 3.8 V6 was discontinued. Ford revised the car's interior significantly, with a new instrument panel. Production went back up to over 200,000 cars a year in '88 and '89, and although there were many rumours of an all-new, front-wheel drive Mustang - first tipped for launch in the mid-'80s - the Fox-platform model soldiered on.

(Photo) Mach 3 concept

Despite 25th anniversary models and various special editions, sales fell back to less than 130,000 cars in 1990, less than 99,000 in 1991 and under 80,000 in '92 - as even the base Mustang now cost well over $10,000, for a very rudimentary specification, it just wasn't an appealing choice any more. Not only did it look dated, it was thoroughly outclassed in terms of ride, comfort and refinement, let alone handling and driving dynamics. Ford realised that it had lost the plot, and went back to basics: the Mach III concept car of 1992 signalled a few intentions, with its retro styling, carbonfibre body panels and a return to the long bonnet-short rear deck layout. This was followed up by the Jack Roush-tuned SVT (Special Vehicles Team) Mustang Cobra production car, which did 0-60 in less than six seconds, and restored a little credibility to the line-up before the fourth-generation model made its long overdue debut in 1994.

MUSTANG 94-03

Mustang IV, launched to much fanfare, managed an all-new body - in two-door coupe or convertible layout, the three-door shape abandoned - and Ford boasted that 1,330 of its 1,850 components were new, but whilst it looked radically different on the outside, underneath it was still based on the ancient Fox platform. It was roomier again, though, with a longer wheelbase and wide track, which helped the handling a little; ABS brakes were now optional, and disc brakes on all wheels standard. The four-cylinder 2.3 engine was finally pensioned off, replaced by a new aluminium-block 3.8 V6 (145bhp); the 5.0 V8 was modified to give 215bhp and a Cobra model was tuned for 245bhp. A stripped-out Cobra R limited edition of 250 models was produced, as were 1000 Indy 500 pace car replicas. The Cobra R was only supposed to be available to racing licence holders, and came with competition-spec fuel tank and engine cooling, though buyers were expected to install their own roll cages and competition seats. For 1995, the R's 351-cu in V8 was breathed on by Jack Roush to give 300bhp, and further revisions were made to the suspension, wheels and transmission, but by 1996, the engine was discontinued. The next Mustang Cobra had a new, more modern 4.6 V8 (305bhp), and this was offered alongside the mainstream 3.8 V6.

Nostalgia has been keeping the Mustang alive - special edition, carefully themed models have helped to keep the flame burning. The Bullitt Mustang of 2001 (see road test linked below), the Mach 1 of 2002, with 'shaker' air scoop and 'heritage' wheels and a series of show cars. New for 2004 will be a further 305bhp Mach 1 edition, and the SVT Mustang MystiChrome Cobra, supercharged to 390bhp and finished in two-tone paint which can flip from Topaz Green to Cobalt Blue to Royal Purple to Onyx Black, depending on the light; there is also, inevitably, the 40th Anniversary model, with special stripes and badging, an uprated interior and unique alloy wheels. The latter does, however, preview the all-new 24-valve 4.6-litre V8 engine to be offered in the Mustang V... The Mustang GT coupe and convertible concept cars shown at the 2003 Detroit Motor Show demonstrated that Ford really was returning to the original recipe for Mustang V, thankfully, and after years of neglect, the Mustang range could finally live up to the promise of the iconic first-generation car. To develop the prototypes, the design teams spent ages looking at the silhouettes of the early pony cars. "Getting the proportions right is the magic to making the entire design work," design chief J Mays told 4CAR last year. "When you're designing a new Mustang, you're the steward of 40 years of automotive history." And history is key: retro detailing abounded in the GT concepts, and Ford's emphasis on reviving the Mustang name was made clear in its repetition of the galloping pony logo and 'Mustang' scripts, all in the style of the '60s 'Stangs. Well, it had to be, as this is all about heritage, tradition and keeping the Mustang brand alive for the 21st century.

MUSTANG 05

Ford has now unveiled the production version of the fifth-generation Mustang.

Stacy94PGT · 04-13-2004, 09:44

Mustang Memories
by AutoWeek

March 9, 1964: The first production Mustang, with an optional 260-cid V8, rolled out of Dearborn. Originally intended as a two-seater, Lee Iacocca, Ford general manager and the force behind the car, thought a four-place car would sell better. Some 22,000 sold the first day, April 17, and 1 million sold in the first two years. The rest, as they say, is history.

For those who thought a stock '65 Mustang too tame, Ford worked with racing legend Carroll Shelby to produce the GT350, a Mustang fastback with a 306-hp 289-cid V8. The car had no back seat, came only in white, and was said to be ready for the track straight out of the factory.

1967 saw the Mustang's first major styling changes, which included a bigger grille and concave tail. Seven engines were available that year, from the 115-hp inline six to the 355-hp 428 in the Shelby GT500.

In 1969 Ford introduced the Boss Mustang, named after Ford designer Larry Shinoda's nickname for the automaker's president, Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen. The Boss 429's V8 developed 375 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. To compete in SCCA Trans-Am racing with Chevrolet's Camaro, which won the 1968 title, Ford built the Boss 302, powered by a 290-hp V8.

It all went horribly wrong in 1974. The Mustang II was Ford's shot at a small, light sporty car. It ended up with an underpowered, ill-handling coupe based on the Pinto. The Mustang II got a 90-hp 2.3-liter four-cylinder (Ford thought V8s too heavy); the "performance" model came with a 100-hp 2.8-liter V6. The highlight: a Ghia model, complete with vinyl roof!

The Mustang II soldiered on and in 1978 the King Cobra was launched to mixed reviews. Some saw the $1,200 package as purely cosmetic, but it came with a four-speed manual transmission, front and rear antiroll bars and more aggressive Goodyear tires. A 134-hp 302 V8 powered King Cobras.

The Mustang II was (thankfully) killed after the 1978 model year and the third generation debuted in 1979. Based on the Fox platform introduced with Ford Fairmont in '78, the '79 Mustang grew in length and height, but weighed some 200 pounds less than Mustang II. Six engines were available, starting with the base 2.3-liter four up to the 302-cid V8, now producing 140 hp. � 2004. All rights reserved.

Midway through the 1984 model came the Mustang SVO, named for Ford's Special Vehicle Operations. The SVO was available only as a hatchback and was powered by a turbocharged 2.3-liter four developing 175 hp. Many SVO buyers checked option 41C, which eliminated the radio, power locks and windows, and a/c. This saved $1,200, and nearly 100 pounds. � 2004. All rights reserved.

For 1987 the Mustang was significantly restyled. The SVO model was dropped, but many of its parts were carried over. In its second year with fuel injection, the 5.0-liter V8 in the Mustang GT now developed 225 hp. The V6 was dropped, so choices were limited to the V8 or a 2.3-liter four producing 88 hp. Body styles were a two-door hatchback and a convertible.

1994, and an all-new body, based on a revised Fox platform. A 3.8-liter V6 now powered the base car, replacing the four. The 5.0 V8's horsepower was now 215. Ford dropped the hatchback and only the two-door coupe and convertible were available. The Cobra R was introduced, intended for racing. It came with no a/c or radio, and most of the sound-deadening insulation was removed.