11/25/2023 0 Comments Mustang wanted deadBefore long you are cruising at a steady 50km/h. Press that accelerator closer to the firewall and there is a gentle application of torque as that pony embossed front rises ever so slightly. When you get off and running properly, that 260ci small block rumbles away happily in the background. Its dead easy to negotiate those tight turns. Navigating the tight spaces of a north Canterbury seaside parking area is a doddle thanks to probably one of the lightest feeling power steering units around. Selecting drive via the cruise-o-matic three speed box and the Mustang gently begins to move forward. ![]() Instead, it is more about power under control and giving you the satisfaction of mechanical components working in harmony. A small block V8 like this is not a powerhouse, nor is it deafening. Flex your right foot on the throttle and said burble becomes a subdued hum. It does feel silky smooth as each of those eight cylinders rev so nicely in unison. This Mustang comes with a keyring noting this gong.įire up and that 260ci small block burbles away quite happily at idle. This was the first time Tiffany had given its Award For Excellence in American Design to a car. With the Mustang already the fastest selling car of all time, Ford’s pony car was even awarded a medal for excellence from Tiffany & Co in April 1964. Ford rated a power output of 164hp and you also had power brakes and power steering, the latter of which I will touch on soon. Under the bonnet sits the original 260ci D Code 4.3L V8 engine mated to a three-speed automatic transmission, or as Ford called it, “cruise-o-matic.” The hi-po 289ci would become the most popular V8 found in the Mustang over the production of coupe, convertible and fastback, but the 260ci was only used for the first year of production. Painted in Wimbledon White with whitewall tyres, it is identical to Ford’s original show car at the New York World’s Fair and believe it or not, sports an original 53,000 miles. It has never been refurbished or touched up, what you see here is probably one of the most original Mustangs on Kiwi roads. Today the Mustang once owned by the better half of The Flying Agostinos is in remarkable original nick, even retaining its original patina. After that it was sold to a Canterbury based Mustang couple who held onto it for another 20 years. ![]() The car arrived in New Zealand in October 2004 before being sold to a Mustang owner in Hawkes Bay. Monti and her husband Frank were renowned performers and acrobats, known through American TV-goers as “The Flying Agostinos.” Regarded as “America’s most exciting acrobatic adagio act” they would frequently perform to a stunned crowd and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Johnny Carson, Ed Sullivan and even Sammy Davis Jr and Muhammad Ali.ĭenise held onto the car for 40 years before selling it on to a New Zealand wholesaler in 2004. Chassis number 108425 indicates this Mustang was the 8245 th example off the production line and was sold new through New York’s Ford Dealer to Denise Monti. Probably the oldest Ford Mustang in New Zealand, this 1964 1/2 Mustang Coupe was on the Ford production line as early as mid-March 1964. Another sold on that launch weekend was the car you see here. ![]() People like Frank Sinatra and Debbie Reynolds ordered one on that first day. So much so that 100,000 were sold within the first month. On April 17 th 1964, Ford unveiled the new Ford Mustang at the New York World’s Fair. When Iaccoca showed HFII the final designs for the new project, Ford responded with, “It better sell!”Īnd sell it did. Ford was going to give customers the chance to have their own personally bespoke sports car, at less than a dollar a pound. Iaccoca wanted to bring the glamour of European sports cars to the American public but at a price just about anyone could afford.Īlso, the new project would allow buyers to choose from a seemingly limitless number of optional extras, from engines, transmissions, wheels, trim, colours, and other add-ons. ![]() Iaccoca and his team worked in secret, under the codename “The Fairlane Committee.” The reason being that Henry Ford II was initially reluctant to embrace a new concept after the flop that was the Edsel project a few years prior. Ford Division Head Lee Iaccoca knew the world was changing and when looking at what they new baby boomer generation wanted in a new car, he and his closely knit team decided to design and develop a car to reinvigorate the public imagination with the blue oval. Prior the Mustang, Ford were in the middle of a sales slump never before seen by the folks at Dearborn, Michigan. “Coming April 17 th, the unexpected, the Ford Mustang.” The term “unexpected” fit well, for no one was prepared for what Ford was about to show them. What the announcer said next signified that something unique was on its way. Television sets across America began broadcasting an advert made by the Ford Motor Company.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |