Often reviled by Mustang enthusiasts, called the “Pintang” or worse, the Mustang II arrived in 1974 as a re-born Mustang. The goal set forth by Lee Iacocca was to reclaim the original mission of the Mustang as a small, fun to drive , inexpensive personal car. He did achieve this goal, although the Mustang faithful turned their backs.
The Mustang II indeed shared it’s soul with the equally reviled Ford Pinto. It rode on a stretched version of the Pinto chassis but had a number of considerable improvements for ride and handling. A front suspension sub frame isolated road noise and vibrations which combined with the new rack and pinion steering offered surprisingly favorable handling characteristics. Longer leaf springs in the rear and the longer wheelbase also gave the Mustang II a much better ride than the Pinto.
Under the hood was Ford’s first American built four cylinder engine since 1934, the 2.3 liter OHC iron block power plant that continues to be built today in an evolved form to power the Ranger pickups. The engine wheezed out a meager 88 hp. Optional was the German built 2.8 liter Cologne V6. This larger version of the V6 that powered the German built Mercury Capri provided 105 hp, but still only provided 0-60 times of about 13.8 seconds – a joke by today’s standards. No V8 was available for the first time in Mustang’s history.
Body styling was at given a “so-so” reaction at the time. Available in a notchback coupe or hatchback configuration it had many Pinto overtones, though it shared only a few drivetrain and chassis components. The interior was lauded at the time as a study in luxury, offering many upscale design touched and trim treatments. Lee Iacocca had called the car his “little limousine” and the term stuck.
From a sales standpoint the car bombed in the showrooms for the first couple months. Car magazines universally gave the car an under whelming reception. Things were looking bleak for the new car until the gas crisis on 1973 hit. Within months, the sales of Mustang II’s were soaring as was the sticker price. Many say that had it not been for the oil crisis, the Mustang II would have been a complete failure.
In hindsight, the Mustang II was the right car for the times. Ford was not the only manufacturer to deprive customers of excitement during the 1970’s. Even so, the Mustang hobby has been slow to accept the Mustang II as a classic, though you shouldn’t tell proud owners of these cars of this. The Mustang II has been cultivating a solid following of owners that are dedicated to preserving this part of Mustang’s history.
1974 Mustang Production Data:
69F Hatchback: 74,799
69R Hatchback – Mach 1: 44,046
60F Coupe: 177,671
60H Coupe – Ghia: 89,477
Total Production: 385,993
1974 Mustang Specifications:
| 1974 Mustang Engines
2.3 L – 140 cid, I-4, 2bbl, 88 hp 2.8 L – 171 cid, V6, 2bbl, 105 hp |
Code
Y Z |
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| Transmissions
4-speed manual 3-speed automatic (C4) |
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| Brakes
Power front disc brakes / rear drum |
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| Body Styles
Coupe Coupe – Ghia Hatchback Hatchback – Mach 1 |
Code
60F 60H 69F 69R |
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| Dimensions
Curb weight – 4 cyl coupe Curb weight -4 cyl hatchback Length Height Wheelbase |
2,660 lb
2,807 lb 175″ 49.6″ 96.2″ |
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| Assembly Plant
Dearborn, MI San Jose, CA |
Code
F R |
1974 Mustang Colors:
| Exterior Colors
Medium Yellow Gold Medium Lime Yellow Light Blue Dark Red Bright Red Pearl White Green Glow Ginger Glow Tan Glow Metallic Bright Green Gold Metallic Saddle Bronze Medium Metallic Bright Blue Medium Metallic Copper Metallic Silver |
Code
6C 4W 3B 2M 2B 9C 4T 5J 5U 4B 5T 3N 5M 1G |
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| Interior Colors:
Black Blue Red Tan Silver Avocado Tan/White Red/White Blue/White |
A
B D U P G M N Q |
