There is no way Ford planners could have foreseen
conditions that would prevail at introduction
time when the Mustang II program was initiated,
but it's doubtful if they could have formulated
a more timely car if they somehow could have
gazed into a magic crystal ball.
The realities
of 1974 promise to bring down the curtain on
the traditional domestic car as we have known
it - certainly for the masses. Such cars were
feasible with unlimited supply of cheap fuel,
lots of wide open spaces and smaller populations,
but those conditions no longer existed.
The
Mustang II arrived -- re-emerging as a "small
car." Reduced in size and weight, it was
a serious attempt to recapture the verve and
spirit of a previous era. Ford management had
recognized the problems of the oversized Mustang
and with several years lead time, again sponsored
a design competition to create a 1974 Mustang
that would have to be one thing. It would have
to be a "little jewel." Also see The
Mustang Story
Answering the call for a lighter, more nimble Mustang,
Ford's Lee Iacocca, dictated that the new Mustang, officially
called the Mustang II, which debuted in 1974 would be light,
sporty, and more European. Iacocca wanted it to be "a
little jewel" and this direction drove every aspect
of the new design. More>>
The biggest boost for the Mustang II's image was the
introduction of the 302 cubic inch V8 back to the Mustang
option list. Available in any Mustang II, but only with
an automatic transmission, the V8 was topped by a two-barrel
Autolite carburettor and was rated at 134 bhp.More>>
1978 saw the introduction of the King Cobra Mustang
II. The King Cobra package was offered only with the four-speed
manual transmission and featured a better suspension with
front and rear stabilizer bars, the 302 V8 with a Variable
Venturi Carburettor, Goodyear P195/70R13 radial tires,
and a wild paint and graphics appearance package. More>>
