1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Description

The 1974 Mustang marked the end of an era, and as far as many Mustang enthusiasts are concerned, the end of the Mustang. What followed isn't something we have to discuss here, but cars like this 1973 are the last of the first, the high-performance Mustangs that started it all.

By 1973, changing emissions and safety regulations were doing their best to put performance on the back burner, but that didn't mean that the engineers at Ford gave up. The Mach 1 was more than just a tape and decal package, it also received its own special grille and other markings, all of which worked quite well with the redesigned front bumper setup. Choosing the sportsroof body style once again for the Mach 1, the car has a sleek, shark-like look, particularly in white, and it's accented by correct black Mach 1 decals along the flanks. The new-for-1973 urethane front bumper necessitated a complete redesign of the grille area, with parking lights relocated to the outer edges of the grille, and for many fans of the '71-73 Mustangs, it's the best-looking of the bunch. Out back, it received a black deck lid spoiler and a honeycomb insert between the taillights that matches the front grille.

The surprisingly handsome and well-appointed interior speaks well of Ford's top-of-the-line Mustang, with twin buckets, a fold-down rear seat, and a center console with a T-handle shifter. The interior was probably restored a few years ago, with fresh seat covers, new carpets, and correct door panels, and the whole environment has mellowed to a righteous patina that it wears quite well. It's also completely stock, including the instrument panel which offers factory gauges and no sign of the ubiquitous under-dash auxiliary units that so many guys install. Heck, even the original AM radio's still in the center stack, right above the console-mounted clock. The "flatback" roofline is sporty, but it also offers a spacious trunk with solid floors and a full-sized spare tire stashed inside.

The base engine on the Mach 1 was the 302 cubic inch V8, the same one that later became the mighty 5.0. Still wearing its original Autolite 2-barrel carb, it's torquey and makes all the right V8 noises. It was clearly rebuilt and repainted at some point in the not-too-distant past, and the Ford Blue engine enamel still looks great. The rest of the engine bay is highly original and shows off what clean living and careful maintenance can do for a 40-year-old muscle car. It's backed by a C4 3-speed automatic transmission and a 9-inch rear with 2.79 gears, so this car just loafs on the highway. The chassis is straight and solid, although clearly in original condition, but the nice thing is that it hasn't even been "upgraded" to the usual Flowmaster exhaust system, suggesting that keeping this car in its original state was important to previous owners. And Mustang fans will be very pleased to see those highly unusual steel wheels, which are a rare option usually supplanted by the usual Magnum 500s, and they're shod with recent 205/70/14 BFG radials.

Original and a sure-bet for future collectability, this Mach 1 deserves its place in Mustang lore. Call today!