While planning my Christmas list this
year, I began to think about what if Santa made a “Naughty and Nice” List of
Mustangs. There are so many that could
make that list but I decided to help Santa to make sure he doesn't miss any.
I’ve decided that the nice list should
be a collections of Mustangs that over the years stood the test of time for the
contribution they made or they brought about some nice new feature that had us
saying “Hey…..that’s nice” but did so in a milder more calm “daily driver”
manner than would the “Naughty” list.
The list below will chronicle each car and the reasons they made the
list.
The “Nice” List;
1. The 1964 ½ Mustang Coupe – This new car ushered in a new
breed of cars coined as the “Pony” car, but it did so in a milder manner than
what was in store for its near future.
The original classic Mustang came equipped with a mild 260 cu. In. V8,
but did manage to turn lots of heads and sell at a record pace for the folks at
Ford.
2. The 1974 Mustang II – This car was a fresh update for the
Mustang brand but it came during the genesis of the gas shortage and makes the
“Nice” list due to the fact that it did receive the Motor Trend Car of the Year
honors. The new platform was even
smaller than the original Mustang introduced in 1964 and was able to meet the
new U.S. emissions and safety standards.
3. 1984 SVO Mustang – This car could also be considered for the
“Naughty” list but I chose to keep it here for the reason that this new breed
of Mustang brought some new technology to the table that was worthy of a second
look. This European-styled hatchback was
equipped with a turbo-charged 4 cylinder engine that was as quick as the V8
GT’s! It boasted a 0-60 time of 7.5 sec
(fast for the day). The SVO’s were only
built for three years (84-86), but still remain very popular with collectors.
4. 2005 Mustang – Retro was the word used to describe this “all
new” Mustang that Ford brought to the public in the fall of 2004. The car and the sales for this one was
another home-run and the throwback styling was very popular with the older generation
who was ready to buy a new Mustang again.
Many of the body lines rekindled the look of the 1967 fastback Mustangs.
5. 2011 Mustang V6 – How does 300 horsepower and 30 miles per
gallon sound? When the new 3.7 liter V6
Mustang was released it was rated at 305 HP and 31 MPG! That was enough power to get the V8 guys to
take notice and the 30 MPG was more than enough to get everybody talking. These horsepower numbers of over 305 was
equivalent to the output of the 1996 Cobra Mustang.
The Naughty List should be a collection
of Mustangs that strike fear in the other drivers as you drive by and make you
wonder if the guy behind the wheel can handle the beast he’s driving! This list is not for the faint of heart, but
more for those who dare to live on the edge and take a trip on the wild side
from time to time.
The Naughty List;
1. 1967 Shelby GT-500 “Eleanor” – Okay, it’s a movie car but
it’s one of the most recognized Mustangs ever built. This car was the star of the 2000 movie Gone in 60 seconds and was built by
Classic Recreations in Oklahoma. Each
one came equipped with a NOS system in the trunk and its attached to an “Armed”
toggle on the dash and a “Go Baby Go” red button on the shift knob. If you wanted one of the movie cars built for
you, they ran approx. $100,000 for the base model with 535 horsepower or open
the wallet up a little wider and get the 770 horsepower version for approx.
$189,000.
2. 1968 Cobra-Jet 428 Mustang – This mid-year offering from
Ford was built for the drag strip and that’s just where it made most of its
claim to fame. It came equipped with all
the upgrades, mods, and goodies for the strip.
With 11.5 second ¼ mile runs at 120 mph quickly earned top honors at the
1968 NHRA Winter-Nationals in the Super Stock Class.
3. 1970 BOSS 429 Mustang - This car was so “Hot” it had to be
sent to an aftermarket company (Kar-Kraft) for the big bad 429 cu. in. engine
to be shoe-horned into the engine bay.
The beast under the hood was believed to have a horsepower output
somewhere between 500-600 HP! Another
reason these cars made the list is the eye popping colors Ford painted them (Grabber Orange, Grabber Green, Grabber
Blue, Calypso Coral, and Pastel Blue) and the giant hood scoop was painted
matte black.
4. 2000 Cobra R Mustang – This limited edition Mustang (only
300 built) packs a 5.4 liter/385-horsepower engine under the hood that was
capable of 170 mph! With its bulging
hood, lowered suspension, bigger brakes, large rear spoiler, and side exhaust
it is clear that this Mustang was ahead of its time for performance. By the way, it was only available in the
color “Performance Red”.
5. 2013 Shelby GT-500 Mustang – One phrase defines why this car
makes the list……200 mph! If that did not
impress you I’ve got another number for you- 662 horsepower! Do I have your attention now? The 5.8 liter supercharged V8 power plant in
this beast will propel it from zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds and the ¼ mile in a
mere 11.8 seconds. It also packs a
ground pounding 631 lb-ft of torque!
I hope
that each of you have been good this year and maybe Santa will bring you what
you asked for……as for me, I’ve been nice this year, but my wishes are on the
Naughty list!
What
about you?
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