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Has the '74-'78 Mustang II become a classic?
by Jim Smart
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I was strolling through the Mustang Round-Up in Bellevue, Washington in July when it occurred to me that the first decade of the new millennium is passing with astonishing speed. It's the dawning of 2006, believe it or not. The '70s are 30 years old. The Mustang's 40th anniversary is two years behind us already.
And the Mustang II is 32.
The earliest Mustangs were considered classics at 20. How on earth did we miss this when the '74 Mustang II turned 20 more than a decade ago? In some circles, the '74-'78 Mustang II is considered a late-model, not a classic. Some will bitterly contend it isn't even a Mustang. But, I have plenty of legitimate arguments for those with limited vision and imagination. Who are we kidding when it comes to the '74-'78 Mustang II? It's as much a classic today as your '65 Mustang was at 30.
I'm convinced automobiles become classics when they become responsible for significant moments in automotive history. The '65 Mustang's status as a classic cannot be underestimated because it changed the course of automotive history. It also created a subculture that's as strong today as it was in 1965. The styling is classic and extraordinary - a design that captured the imagination and hearts of millions of people when it entered the marketplace in the mid-'60s. People from all walks of life bought Mustang - new and used - during the '60s and '70s. Those who couldn't afford them in 1964 snapped them up years after they left Ford showrooms. Other bought new Mustangs during the '70s to make up for what they missed during the '60s. This created a movement and an industry that began in the late '70s with the founding of this magazine.
Ford's timeless, sporty Mustang has touched more lives than any other automobile in history; except perhaps the Volkswagen Beetle. Yet did you know the Mustang has nearly succumbed to corporate execution on two occasions? Declining sales during the early '70s inspired Ford to take a second look at the Mustang, when it was nearly replaced with the Maverick.
Then-Ford President Lee Iacocca saved the Mustang, the car he fought so hard to get to market in the first place. He spearheaded a fresh approach to its redesign, known then as the Arizona project. A more appropriate name might have been Phoenix.
Iacocca's efforts during the early '70s led to the completely redesigned '74 Mustang II, and it was Motor Trend's Car Of The Year. The all-new Mustang would not only earn that distinction, it would exceed everyone's expectations with 385,993 units sold the first year. It was, as Ford's advertising campaign stated, "The right car at the right time."
In view of the Mustang II's great success at a time when we thought Ford might chloroform the Mustang name, is it not a classic for what it did for the most successful nameplate in Ford history? The Mustang II saved the Mustang name from extinction. But id did even more than that.
People like the way the car looked and flocked into Ford showrooms. They appreciated the improved engineering and craftsmanship. The Mustang II was getting back to the original classic Mustang's size and attitude. It wasn't just the Arab oil embargo that helped this car sell so well. It was the car's styling and feel. It was the feeling buyers experienced when they sat behind the wheel and digested the full instrumentation, digital clock, rich woodgrain appointments, and modled standard door panels. Even the base Mustang II models were elegant inside. The Ghia and Mach 1 upgrades were icing on the cake.
The Mustang II is a classic in 2006 because it was responsible for a significant moment in Mustang history. It waved the Mustang name. Not only that, it inspired people to buy Mustangs, leading to generations of better ones to come.
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