1973 Ford Mustang

1973 was the final year for the first-generation Mustang, influenced by 'Bunkie' Knudsen, the former GM executive who was instrumental in Pontiac's dramatic turnaround during the 1950s. The 1971 through 1973 Mustang series was the ultimate expression of Ford Motor Company's original 'Ponycar.' They offered the luxury and big-block performance engines which buyers were demanding. They were the largest Mustangs up to this point, with larger engine bays to provide greater ease of access for service and regular maintenance. Wheelbase length grew by one inch to 109 inches. The 1971-1973 cars were only Wheelbase length grew by one inch to 109 inches, despite their larger visual presence, and weighed only an approximate 3,000 pounds as shipped.

Styling was European GT-influenced, with a long, wide hood, a broad grille design, and a wraparound 1969-1970 Shelby GT-style front bumper. The Mustang Milano concept car, which had been introduced in February of 1970 at the Chicago Auto Show, gave a preview of various styling elements that would appear on the 1971-1973 Mustangs. Among those features was the Sportsroof body style that had a nearly flat roofline sloping gently below the horizontal plane. Along with the Sportsroof, production Mustangs could also be purchased as a Convertible or a more formal hardtop coupe with a tunneled rear window and flying buttress.

The twin-cove dash interior design continued, along with deeply tunneled instruments, and a prominent center stack housing the climate controls and radio. As the marketplace had shifted away from higher horsepower ratings of the late 1960s, and towards luxury by the early 1970s, the Mustang was available with many optional items. Most Mustangs received tinted glass, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, and automatic transmissions.

Slight modifications and updates were made for 1972 and 1973, including revised nameplate scripts, a new trim package (in 1972) that added an aggressive Mach 1-style appearance, and available color-keyed front bumpers.

Revisions for 1973 included framed headlamps, upright parking lamps, and a new grille-insert design. Engine choices included an inline-six, plus the 302 V-8 and Cleveland or Windsor 351 V-8s in two or four-barrel tune. 1973 would be the final year for the performance-oriented Mach 1. After 1973, the convertible body style would not be available from Dearborn's factories until 1983.

Specifications
The standard engine was the 250 cubic-inch six-cylinder unit with overhead valves, seven main bearings, a Motorcraft single-barrel carburetor, and 8.0:1 compression. It developed 88 (net) horsepower at 3,200 RPM and was paired with a standard three-speed manual transmission.

The optional small-block 302 CID V8 had a cast-iron block, overhead valves, five main bearings, a two-barrel carburetor and developed 135 horsepower at 4,200 RPM.

The 351 CID 'Windsor' V8 engine had 8.0:1 compression, a two-barrel carburetor, and produced 156 horsepower at 3,800 RPM.

The 351 'Cleveland' with 8.0:1 compression and a two-barrel carburetor produced 154 (net) hp at 4,000 RPM. Optional transmission included a four-speed manual and a three-speed automatic.

The 1973 Ford Mustang had a 109-inch wheelbase, was 189.5 inches long, was 75 inches wide, and rode on E78-14 tires.

Pricing
The two-door hardtop coupe with six-cylinder power was priced at $2,760, while the base V8 had $2,845. The fastback was priced at $2,820, the convertible at $3,100, and the Grande at $2,950. The addition of the base V8 engine increased the base price by approximately $100. The Mach 1 listed for $3,090 and only came with eight-cylinder power.

Production
The most popular body style was the hardtop coupe with 51,430 units built followed by 35,440 of the Mach 1, 25,274 of the Grande, 11,853 of the convertible, and 10,820 of the fastback. Total production was 134,817 units, an increase from 102,589 units the previous year.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2019