1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1

1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1

This 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 came in for a little freshening up. It needed some light body work hence the introduction of the Mach 1 title. 1969 was the benchmark year for Ford Mustang in its proliferation of performance names and engines.

The Mach 1 package was only available in the 鈥楽portsRoof鈥?body style (previously known as the 鈥楩astback鈥?; never on the hardtop or convertible. Many resto-mod visual conversions have since been performed by owners and enthusiasts, but are not Mach 1鈥檚 by VIN code. Standard equipment was a 351 cu in (5.8 L) Windsor (351W) 2V motor with a 3 speed manual transmission, and a 9鈥?28 spline open rear axle. Mach 1s came with upgraded suspension to varying degrees dependent upon powertrain choices. Big block cars had front shock tower reinforcement, thicker sway bars (no rear bar for 69), and heavier springs and shocks. 428 CJ/SCJ 4 speed cars also came with staggered rear shocks. Standard on Mach 1s was a fierce but cosmetic hood scoop that had integrated turn-signal lights mounted in the back. A more functional option was the signature 鈥淪haker hood鈥? an air scoop mounted directly to the top of the motor, used to collect fresh air and so named for its tendency to 鈥渟hake鈥?above the rumbling V-8 below. The interior came complete with teak wood grain details, full sound deadening material and high-back sport bucket seats. In 1969 endurance driver Mickey Thompson took three Mach 1 Mustangs to the Bonneville salt flats for a feature in Hot Rod magazine, in the process setting 295 speed and endurance records over a series of 500-mile and 24-hour courses. Ford kept the Mach 1 alive into 1970 and little changed other than the visuals.

Fans of the original Mach 1s back in the Mustang鈥檚 first-generation were thrilled to see some of their favorite exterior attributes return, including a matte black spoiler and hood stripe. Rather than conforming to what other special edition 2003 Mustangs looked like, the fourth generation Mach 1s took heavy influence from the past for the interior as well as the exterior body. Under the hood, the 2003 Mach 1 sported a 4.6L modular V8 engine that could be paired with either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission. The 281 CID engine could push out 305 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. The 2003 Mach 1 proved to be the perfect happy medium between the SN95 Cobras and the GT editions. The 305 horsepower rating was lower than the Cobra鈥檚 impressive total but was 40 hp greater than a base GT. The Mach 1 stayed true to its roots even further with the 21st-century rebirth by offering its fans a host of color selections to choose from.

Those that wished to purchase a Mach 1 Mustang in 2003 could select Black, Dark Shadow Grey Metallic, Torch Red, Zinc Yellow, or Oxford White, as well as the special Azure Blue paint code. In 2004, Ford replaced Zinc Yellow with Screaming Yellow and added Competition Orange to the array of color options. The Mach 1 disappeared into the sunset once more following the 2004 model year. Steve McQueen鈥檚 iconic 1968 390 fastback is the most famous Mustang in movie history-there is no denying that. However, arguably the second-most famous movie Mustang comes from the Mach 1 family. Anyone familiar with Ford Mustang lineage has likely heard the name 鈥淓leanor鈥?before. The Mustang Eleanor billing is most famous these days for its appearance in the 2000 Remake of Gone in Sixty Seconds, but the nameplate made its cinematic debut in the 1974 original. H.B. Halicki directed and starred in the movie, but the modified 1971 fastback known as Eleanor is what people remember most about the film. Speaking of the 1970s, the Mach 1 also made an appearance in the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever. Cars are always a big theme of Bond movies, and Sean Connery proudly displays his 1971 Mach 1 with a 429 Cobra Jet engine in this action-packed classic.