Mustang Of The Day: 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Mustang Of The Day: 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 joined five other factory performance Mustang models鈥攖he GT, the Boss 302, the Boss 429, the Shelby GT350, and the Shelby GT500鈥攊n the Mustang model lineup. The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 was only available in the fastback body style and was powered by a 351 cu.-in. 5.8-liter Windsor V8, mated to a three-speed manual gearbox. The standard engine was good for 250 horsepower through the two-barrel carburetor, but it could get 290 with the four-barrel and elevated compression. The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Cobra Jet was reportedly one of the world鈥檚 fastest cars at the time. Paired with an automatic transmission, the Mach 1 Cobra Jet could take to 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.5 seconds. It reached a full quarter-mile in 13.9 seconds at 103 mph. Timothy Moore takes his leadership inspiration from Michael Scott, his writing inspiration from Mark Twain, and his dancing inspiration from every drunk white guy at a wedding. When Tim is not writing about cars and money, he鈥檚 working on his novel or reading someone else鈥檚, geeking out over strategy board games, hiking with his pooch, or channeling his inner Linda Belcher over beers with his friends. See more articles by Timothy.

For example, to get around 225 net horses in, say, a '72 Mustang, you had to order an optional 351 V-8 rated at 168-275 net horsepower. Yet the '87 small-block was thriftier and smoother running, needed less upkeep, and was more reliable--pure, unadulterated progress. The Mustang had plenty of show and go, but there was more. The redesign that resulted in the 1987 Ford Mustang wasn't all about styling and power. For such a familiar and relatively simple chassis, the '87 GT earned unusual praise for its driver-pleasing road-carving ability. A smoother new nose helped lower the '87 GT hatchback's drag coefficient to 0.38, and it had other commendable performance numbers as well. From the outset, the Mustang felt like a car that could driven fast and safely and satisfyingly. It had all the right sporting attributes, yet there was also something quite nice about its character. It came down to one word: forgiving鈥?

Ford's designers chose to enlarge the front vented discs, but continued to use leftover Pinto drums on the rear鈥? 鈥? Corrugated firewall panels and sound-deadening adhesives give the '87 Mustang a rock-solid feel. It is, in fact, one of the first things you notice when you close the door. We're stuck now in (the rut) that the Camaro costs more from a production standpoint鈥? If you want a T-roofed IROC that's pretty close to loaded, you're going to be over twenty grand. First, we wanted to do more than a paint and stripe job. If we couldn't do a proper vehicle, we weren't going to do one at all. Ford relied on surrogate fathers. I'd like to stand here and tell you I was the father' of the original Mustang, 'but my biggest contribution was designing the wheel covers.' So, he was asked, who was the father? Well, there were several鈥oe Oros and Dave Ash, who headed its design. Chrysler products. In fact, that's exactly what he did in a short prepared statement on the anniversary. Bang for the Buck! Mustang truly defines the concept of Bang for the Buck.

Support for change comes from both the CEO, Hackett, and the executive chairman, Bill Ford Jr., great-grandson of Henry, and the company鈥檚 longstanding supporter of cleaner cars and a cleaner environment. Speaking at a Detroit business event earlier this year, Bill Ford said, 鈥淲hen we first started talking about electrification, there was this thought that there had to be a trade-off. It was either going to be green and boring and no fun, or really exciting but burn a lot of fossil fuels. The Mustang Mach-E may or may no win over long-time Mustang partisans. They鈥檒l still have combustion-engine Mustang coupes for years to come. Now they鈥檒l have the option of a far roomier Mustang that carries five people and a lot of luggage if they want another Mustang in the garage. Meanwhile, by linking electrification to one of its two most iconic models, Ford is changing its perception to being a company that wants to sell electric cars that are fun to drive, roomy, and high performance.