| |
The New Mustang in an Old Corral
|
When the first Ford Mustang debuted almost a decade ago, the car was such a radical departure from anything else on the road that it earned its master, Ford's Lee Iacocca, the cover of Time Magazine. Life magazine was so impressed with the world's first "ponycar" that it put out a full-color spread, heralding it as "a true sports car."
Dan Gurney drove a prototype and announced in another magazine, "This car will run the rubber off a Triumph or an MG. It has the feel of a 2-plus-2 Ferrari."
If Dazzling Dan was impressed, he had good reasson. The new Mustang he blasted around the track came with a 289-cubic-inch, 271-horsepower V-8 with four on the floor. It had a 108-inch wheelbase and overall was only 181.6 inches long. Zero-to-60 was accomplished in 7.1 seconds.
And the basic model sold for an unheard-of $2368 (FOB Detroit), putting it in the price range of austere economy cars.
And it sold like hula hoops. Iacocca was right: the World War II babies had come of car-buying age and Mustang was what they wanted - smaller, sportier cars with both performance and luxury.
Those other guys in Detroit picked up the ponycar baton and pretty soon it was a crowded, quick-changing market. The showplace became even more cluttered - and competitive - with the advent of the mini-ponycar, the subcompact, like Pinto and Maverick.
And here we are, 10 years after the brash Mustang arrived on the scene. We'll reserve our opinions on the new car's performance until we get hold of one. But briefly, here are the essentials of the new '74 Mustang.
-
Ford obviously is attempting to return to the original small-size concept from which it probably never should have strayed. In facet, the new Mustang's overall length is shorter than the original.
-
The horsepower, due to many obvious factors, like emissions and insurance, is not logner emphasized. While the big '64 Mustang boasted 210 horses (271 in high performance form) the '74 will come with a top of 110. Today, "big" translates to a 2.8-liter V-6, an updated version of the 2.6-liter engine sold in the Capri. The basic engine will be a 2.3-liter overhead cam four-cylinder, producing 90 horses.
- Performancewise, the V-6 may compare closely with the Datsun 240Z. Ford ran through a series of 10-second speed tests. The new Mustang traveled 500 feet in that time, compared with 478 feet for the sporty Toyota Celica and 540 feet for the 240Z. (Ford expects the base engine to perform will because the emissions equipment is built in and not added on.)
- There will be five models to choose from: three fastbacks and two "notchbacks." One notchback will be the base model, the other called a "Grande" model. The three fastbacks will have a third door in the rear. One will be a two-seater, the other a Mach 1 performance model and the third a standard four-passenger fastback.
- Sizewise, as we said, the new Mustang is smaller than the original. It has a 96-inch wheelbase (13 inches shorter than the '73). While it is smaller than the original, the interior front seating is said to be more comfortable. And that, obviously, is because less room is required for the engine compartment with the smaller engines.
- Ford people have told us that contrary to popular belief, this shorter car has a smoother ride than the longer model. The secret, they say, is the new sub frame and suspension geometry up front.
And there are those who say there is a lot of Pinto, Maverick and even Thunderbird design included in the new Mustang. We'll let you be the judge.
|
|
