1974 - 1978

1974-1978

As muscle car sales declined and sub-compact imports were gaining in popularity Lee Iacocca ordered the development of a smaller Mustang for 1974. The Pinto was the basis for the new design. Designers kept the original Mustang’s longer hood and short deck styling. It was offered as a 2+2 or hatch back now with rack and pinion steering. The only engine choices were a 4 cylinder or V6. There was no V8 option in 1974 although it did return in 1975. The release of the Mustang II happened to coincide with the oil embargo and shortages which helped Ford sell over 1 million cars in it’s short 4 year production cycle. The most popular models during these years were the Cobra II and King Cobra, although they were just styling packages and offered no increase in performance.