The Competition Gets Interesting
By 1967 the honeymoon was over in terms of Mustang's unquestioned
domination of the pony car market. Chevrolet's Camaro, Pontiac's
Firebird, and Plymouth's Barracuda were nipping at sales. Among
Ford's immediate responses was a burst of marketing creativity.
The company began looking for major markets that might be hungry
for special-edition Mustangs. California accounted for a large
portion of Ford's Mustang sales; 20 percent of all Mustangs
were sold in the Los Angeles area alone. Thus was born the 1968
Mustang GT/CS, a limited edition commonly referred to as the
"California Special." Production of the GT/CS was
restricted to fewer than 5,000 units available exclusively through
the Southern California Dealers Group. The GT/CS package was
sold as an option for hardtop only and included modifications
such as an emblem-free, blacked-out grille with rectangular
fog lamps; decorative side scoops; special side/rear striping;
indigenous scripts; a built-in rear spoiler; and sequential
taillights. Colorado Ford delaers offered a similar Mustang,
dubbed the GT/HCS for "High Country Special." (Patrick
Covert, Ultimate Mustang)
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1967 Mustang Coupe
Although the 1967 Mustang's wheelbase remained at 108 inches,
the car was otherwise completely redesigned for that year. In
many ways the 1967 coupe appeared to be just a slightly larger
version of the original, but more sophisticated sytling gave
the car an identity of its own. The front grille retained the
galloping horse with its corral surround, but the enlarged opening
gave the car a more natural look. The side scoops, though nonfunctional,
were designed as two smaller scoops with inlets adn painted
the body color - quite different from the chrome tacked-on look
of the scoops on 1966 models. All of these features contributed
to a clean, polished look. (Patrick Covert, Ultimate Mustang)
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Bread
and Butter Six-Cylinder Mustangs
Ford offered low-budget, straight-six-cylinder
Mustangs from the start, and these more affordable editions
enabled the company to sell the car in high volume. Approximately
30 percent of Mustangs sold in the first five years were
powered by six cylinders. Ford even got behind the six-cylinder
engine in ad campaigns and released special upscale "Sprint"
versions of the car for several years. The basic six was
available with a one-barrel carburetor and was offered
with three-speed, four-speed, or automatic transmission.
(Patrick Covert, Ultimate Mustang)
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1967
Mustang Variations
In 1967 the competition was beginning to
enjoy a respectable share of the pony car market. Eating
into Mustang sales figures were the Chevrolet Camaro (220,906),
Mercury Cougar (150,983), Pontiac Firebird (82,560), and
Plymouth Baracuda (62,534). Still, Mustang managed to
outsell its nearest compeitor, the Chevrolet Camaro, by
a ratio of two to one. As in previous years, the car-buying
public could choose from the coupe, convertible, and 2+2
fastback. The lack of chrome side trim on 1967 models
made for a more subdued appearance than in previous years.
The fastback, however, took on a much heftier look due
to its extended roof. For reported sales of 71, 042 fastback
Mustangs, 44,808 convertibles, and 356, 271 coupes in
1967.
390 Engine,
The Mustang's First Big Block
To meet the increasing
performance demands of the marketplace, Ford added the
Thunderbird's 390cid, 320 hp big-block engine to the Mustang.
The 1967 redesign had in fact been worked largely to accommodate
this larger engine. The 390 used cast iron intake and
exhaust manifolds and a single 600 cfm Holley four-barrel
carburetor. Mustangs with 390s had dual exhaust systems.
The era of the big-block performance had begun;
28,800 Mustangs were equipped with the 390s in 1967. (Patrick
Covert, Ultimate Mustang)
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