| 1967-1968 Mustang | |
| By 1967,
competition in the so-called sports-compact market was noticeably stiffer,
Ford was hard-pressed to improve on the “classic” Mustang
it had introduced in 1964; the competition was getting keen. The Plymouth
Barracuda had been the Mustang’s only real competitor. The Dodge
Charger was considered a “fringe” youth-market threat, but
did not really go head-to-head with the original “Pony car.”
Ford had caught other companies unprepared
in 1964, but now they were poised to catch up. Mercury introduced its
fancy version of the Mustang…called the Cougar. Chevrolet chose
to develop its own, entirely new sports-compact model for 1967. It was
called the The 67 Mustang had a jazzy new body, a wider tread for better road grip and a wider range of engines. Option choices were also widened. Styling followed the same theme, but in a larger size. That was, absolutely a wise move. Emphasizing and strengthening a look that was already popular, left a definite impression that improvements had been made; clearly suggesting that a good thing had gotten better. On the exterior, the 67 Mustang was heftier and more full-fendered. Especially low & sleek was the new 2+2 fastback, featuring all new sheet metal. The wheelbase was unchanged, but overall length grew by nearly two inches. The front and rear tread widths went up by 2.1 inches and overall width was 2.71 inches wider at 58.1 inches. Sculpturing was more obvious, with lots of rounded contours, and a larger snout-like grille. The same three body styles were offered, but the Mustang did not really have different “models” like other pony cars did. The GT option was still available. A “Sports Sprint” was advertised in the spring. All Mustangs had bigger engine bay, this was very necessary, because the first “big-block” option was among the many 1967 hardware upgrades. It was a 390-cubic-inch V-8 with 320 horsepower. It provided a good street-performance option with a low $264 price tag, lots of low-end performance and plenty of torque. 1968 only brought slight alterations. They included metal trim on the cove, the new script style Ford lettering in the grille, and a new two-tone hood. The GT options included strips that started at the front fender, extended through the door and wrapped around the indentation in the rear quarter in front of the rear wheel. Other GT Mustang upgrades were fog lights in the grille, GT gas cap and hubcaps. Production totaled out at 17,458 GT models for the 1968 year. The GT with the 390 cubic inch engine is considered a desirable collector car. Even thought
production fell in 1968 for the Ford Mustang, it still was the best
selling pony car. |
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