-1978 Mustang

1974 brought a new era for the Mustang. The downsize from the much larger '73 was dramatic; 17 inches shorter and 4 inches narrower. The all new Mustang II was intended to be a throw back to the original success of the small and sporty Pony car that started it all in 1964. The design emphasis was on a light, compact and easy to drive car that could be customized with loads of options.

The muscle car era was on it's way out, to be replaced by soaring fuel prices and long lines at the pump. For 1974 the V8 wasn't even an option and a gas sipping 4 cylinder was offered instead; a first for the Ford Mustang. A 3 door fastback and 2 door notchback were still available, but the traditional convertible was dropped from the lineup. The fuel friendly Mustang II had a large appeal to the 70's buyer and over 380,000 models were sold. This type of success hadn't been seen since 1967.

But the V8 couldn't stay dead for long and in 1975 the 302 cid returned under the hood of the Mustang. As in the past, Ford offered several options to the customer eyeing their brochure; the luxury Ghia, Mach 1, MPG Package, 1976 Cobra II and 1978 King Cobra.