Ford Mustang Mach 1 - Filling a Vacant Mustang Niche
"Performance" and "retro" are two major buzz words in the auto industry these days, and when they can be combined into a model loaded with tradition, a fun car and a sales winner is the likely result.
Such is the case for Ford, which has been hard at work developing its "Living Legends" series of cars. The Thunderbird will be endowed with more horsepower, 280 for 2003, but the bigger story is the newest Mustang, the Mach 1.
Those of us of a certain age can remember when the original Mach 1 came out, in 1969. With a 428 Cobra Jet mill lurking under that shaking hood scoop, only the very hottest muscle cars of the day stood much of a chance in impromptu acceleration contests.
Today, of course, cars need to be much better all-round performers, and the Mach 1 can handle all aspects of the game.
Among the many retro styling cues on the new Mach 1 is a faithful reproduction of the original model's shaker hood scoop that incidentally doesn't shake as much as the original. Below it resides a version of the 4.6-litre, double-overhead cam V8 that used to be the exclusive engine for the Cobra, before that model was kicked up-market with a supercharger. So in a sense, the Mach 1, the only Mustang to get the engine now, fills that hole in the Mustang line-up.
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| While most Mustang fans would prefer a 428 cubic inch 1969 Mach 1, the new version offers exciting performance as well in a much more functional package. (Photo: www.mustangandfords.com) |
Such is the case for Ford, which has been hard at work developing its "Living Legends" series of cars. The Thunderbird will be endowed with more horsepower, 280 for 2003, but the bigger story is the newest Mustang, the Mach 1.
Those of us of a certain age can remember when the original Mach 1 came out, in 1969. With a 428 Cobra Jet mill lurking under that shaking hood scoop, only the very hottest muscle cars of the day stood much of a chance in impromptu acceleration contests.
Today, of course, cars need to be much better all-round performers, and the Mach 1 can handle all aspects of the game. Among the many retro styling cues on the new Mach 1 is a faithful reproduction of the original model's shaker hood scoop that incidentally doesn't shake as much as the original. Below it resides a version of the 4.6-litre, double-overhead cam V8 that used to be the exclusive engine for the Cobra, before that model was kicked up-market with a supercharger. So in a sense, the Mach 1, the only Mustang to get the engine now, fills that hole in the Mustang line-up.