Ford Mustang: 1974-1978

Ford Mustang: 1974-1978

The wild horse becomes a tame pony

By the end of 1973, the once-mighty Mustang was on the ropes. The ponycar segment was crowded with rivals from General Motors, American Motors, Chrysler and even Mercury. Also, with increased gas prices, the demand for big, powerful, clumsy dragsters was shrinking.

Recipe for Change
Ford President Lee Iacocca, who had fathered the original 1964 model, viewed these obstacles as opportunities, a chance to return to the Mustang's roots of an inexpensive sporty car that was practical as well as fun. How successful he was is open to debate.

The trouble with trying to re-create the successful Mustang recipe was that the raw ingredients had changed. The 1964 Mustang had been heavily based on the Falcon, Ford's low-end economy car. The 1974 Mustang II was based on the Pinto econo-box, and it was not the promising starting point the Falcon had been. The Pinto was a sturdy and porky little tin can (sometimes ignitable) with generic four and six-cylinder engines.

Mustang II
Iacocca wanted to scale up the Pinto into the new Mustang II to fill the sporty sedan niche occupied by the Toyota Celica, one of the new breed of hot Japanese 2+2s catching the attention of Detroit executives. Essentially, Ford decided the old ponycar market was too small to worry about, and besides the fancier Mavericks already had V-8 engines and were selling reasonably well.


The Pinto was beefed up to use the heavier-duty parts needed for the Mustang II, but the new pony had more insulation to help control the vibration of the base 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. The 1974 Mustang II was much smaller than the 1973 model, and no convertible was offered. The accent was on flash, not performance, but at least the new 'Stang had rack-and-pinion steering for the first time. The sportiest Mustang II was the fastback, with the notchback aimed at luxury-oriented buyers. Ford had acquired Ghia, an established Italian body builder with a proven reputation, but the opportunity to make good use of its talents was squandered when the name was frivolously attached to a trim package on the notchback.

Performance Push
Old-time Mustang fans were crying for a performance version with ponycar looks, so the Mach I was introduced. This was a V-6-powered fastback with a striping package and fancy wheels. The first-year reception for the Mustang II was impressive, with 386,000 sales. But after the novelty wore off, the Mustang II began to slide.


The new Mustang was heavy at 2,700 pounds, and the engines it was saddled with didn't deliver much power or gas mileage compared to the import competition. For 1975, a 302-inch V-8 was added, but with only 122 horses it was hardly what Ford fans needed to do battle with the Camaro Z-28 and Firebird.

The Ghia models had vinyl roofs, opera windows and crushed velour upholstery. Sales dipped to 190,000 units as the Japanese imports streaked ahead and Camaro and Firebird sales (combined) surpassed their old rival at last. The Mustang II was also competing with the Ford Maverick, which was selling almost as well. However, Ford took comfort in knowing that the Mustang II easily outsold the equally wimpy Chevy Monza aimed at the same market.

Kinda Cobra
The Cobra name was dredged out in 1976 and slapped on a trim package that was sure to anger diehard Shelby fans. White with blue stripes and black with gold stripes were the only paint options, and although the Cobra was the best looking Mustang II variant, it was still as slow as molasses.


Although there would be no convertible Mustang II, in 1978 a T-top option was added to the fastback bodystyle. By this time the V-8 Mustang II weighed over 3,200 pounds and the tepid 302 could not make it a respectable runner. Nevertheless, Ford added a King Cobra model in 1978, with a beefed-up suspension, better wheels, brushed aluminum interior trim and wild Cobra graphics sporting a pop-art snake on the hood. Sales continued to slip until the final year of Mustang II production, when sales rallied to 192,410 units.

Due to their bulk and lack of muscle, few Mustang IIs were raced. Some were beefed up with bigger engines, but it made more sense to start with a first-generation Mustang that weighed around 200 pounds less. The Mustang II was no match for a base-model Camaro on a race track, much less a Z-28. One of the few Mustang IIs to hit the track was the Kemp Cobra II run in the IMSA All-American GT racing series in 1976. It used a custom-built space frame that bore no resemblance to the Mustang unibody, and was powered by a 530-horse 351 Cleveland V-8. Builder Charlie Kemp also advertised a hotter street version of the Mustang II, called the Kemp GT, that was to have upgraded suspension and interior with a replica of the racecar body.


By 1978 the Mustang II was ripe for replacement. It had kept the Mustang name alive through some tough times for the American auto industry, and for thousands of buyers it provided stylish, individualistic transportation at a fair price. But for performance fans it was a sheep in wolf's clothing and no match for their rivals in the Bowtie Brigade. That situation would get much better when the new 'Stang came knocking in 1979.