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6. Ford Mustang II
Change is not always good. Just look at the 1974 Ford Mustang, the beginning of the second generation pony car.
But this Mustang has humble beginnings, as it was based on the Pinto’s platform for starters — just not with the same “explosiveness” when rear-ended.
Things only get worse from there. The Mustang II, as it was called, was smaller and heavier than its predecessor and did more to hurt the nameplate than anything Chevy ever could have done.
Ford Motor Company President, the infamous Lee Iacocca who launched the original Mustang, made the decision to put this Mustang II into production. It was meant to compete with the Toyota Celica. To address new fuel economy regs, it featured a 2.3 liter inline-4-cylinder engine producing 88 horsepower. (less than a 600cc sportbike makes today!) Over its five year life, Ford sold over 1 million Mustang II models and it was even named Motor Trend Magazine’s Car of the Year in 1974.
Those accomplishments proved two things: A large number of the American public will, if you give them the opportunity, pay big money for horse manure if you give it the right name and color; and MotorTrend, back in the day, had to be trading annual honors for ad pages. That is not the case today, but back then…
Why it’ so dumb: Iacocca had launched an icon. When he had the chance to lead its redesign, he cheaped out and undercut one of the most celebrated cars and brands of the twentieth century. Ford engineers and managers knew it was a truly awful idea to use the Pinto platform for a new Mustang. They did it anyway. Directing the engineers on this project was like asking Michelangelo to paint the fence outside of St. Peter’s after doing the Sistine Chapel.
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