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Steel muscles- Ford Mustang

Among other muscular cars of the sixties, Ford Mustang is a mansion. First, he originally conceived as a sports car modest (on American concepts) of dimensions, and did not appear as a result of crossing a powerful engine with a two-door family sedan. Secondly, in the first year of Mustang production was sold in an amount of 419,000 copies, which exceeded the volume of implementation for the same period of all muscular cars, combined. Thirdly, a long time with a base power unit for the machine was a motor in 120 horses, against the background of at least 250-strong settings of competitors looking unconvincing.

The idea of \u200b\u200boffering the Americans is a compact, dynamic and stylish car came to the head of the Vice President of the Ford Motor Corporation Li Yakokk in 1961. Then one similar model was produced in the USA - Chevrolet Corvette with a fiberglass body, who had to compete with the whole army of Europeans. Yakokka has conceived a four-seater with two doors, four and a half meters long, weighing about 1,100 kg, and, most importantly, the selling price not exceeding $ 2,500. For many months, we went to all kinds of meetings, meetings, collective discussions and sociological research, and only in September 1962 financing was allocated under the project. Development was sharply accelerated in the fall of 1963, when a real boom of muscular cars broke out, and eventually took exactly a year and a half.

The appearance of the Machine Designers Daveid Ash and Joe Oros tried to withstand in the European style. In the profile, the car with his long hood of a characteristic shape and a short trunk was greatly like an American fighter R-51 Mustang Times of World War II, which made a decisive contribution to the victory over the Japanese in the battles for the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, the car was told Mustang, although you first wanted to assign a cat's name Cougar. Mustang II prototype was presented at the same time with a 271-strong V8 engine, which was based on almost ready to run into a series of chassis. To reduce the cost of the machine, the designers went to borrow the running, as well as some other nodes from the Falcon sedan.

The first Mustang left the conveyor in the morning of March 9, 1964, and a full-scale advertising campaign started at 9:30 am, when on three leading American television networks - ABC, NBC and CBS - commercials were held. After a day, the World Exhibition opened in New York, where the official premiere of the Ford Mustang model was held. The car was shown in two versions - as a two-door sedan and a convertible, at the same time announced a base price - $ 2,68. The market reacted with unheard of enthusiasm: already in the first hours of the Ford exhibition received more than 22,000 orders for the car. By the end of the 1964, 263,434 cars were sold, and Mustang's million mark stepped over two years. The head enterprise in Dirborene, who worked with full load and still failed to satisfy the robust demand, urgently received reinforcements in the form of plants in San Jose and Metrojee, re-equipped for the production of a newcomer machine. Thus, the Fords literally handed out competitors from Plymouth, for a minute no longer doubted that it was their Barracuda in the United States a muscular car number one. The pledge of the stunning success of the car was a huge list of custom equipment, thanks to which one client could book a copy with a modest appearance, a Spartan interior and an unassuming engine, and the other received a Mustang with a body painted with a metallic paint, generously decorated with chrome, with a powerful engine, sports gearbox, Leather interior and air conditioning. No wonder one of the promotional slogans sounded like this: we will make Mustang specifically for you.

At first, two power units were installed on the car: the row six is \u200b\u200ba 2.8 liter working volume and 101 liters. C., 164-strong Motor V8 of 4260 cubes and 4.7-liter V-shaped eight, developed 210 horsepower. Any of the listed engines could work in a pair with a three-speed manual transmission or a Cruise-O-Matic machine. However, modest dynamic indicators did not allow Mustubu to be called a proud name of a muscular car. Externally, he approached this definition for all one hundred, but in a semi-legal, and often illegal races, very common in America sixties, was unconvincing. The situation has changed already in June 1964, when Mustang was on sale with a Fastback body (characterized by a sloping roof), and with it a 271-strong version of 4.7-liter motor debuted.

Europeans accepted a car with no less delight than the Americans themselves. The car conquered the inhabitants of the old light with stylish design, powerful motors and an acceptable price. Mustang ranked third in the European competition in the 1965 European competition, and in the same 1965 Roy Pirpostet won the British British BTCS Body Cup Championships at the wheel of a specially prepared car.

Following sports modifications, developed jointly with the famous company Carrol Shelby, the efforts of whose specialists were created by the legendary Cobra. In the execution of Shelby GT-350, the car engine was 306 liters. With., and in a special racing Shelby GT-350R - all 360. Only in the 1966 model year, the GT-350 also installed the PAXton brand's mechanical supercharger, which allowed the power to increase the power to 420-430 horsepower to increase certain revolutions. All Mustang prepared on Shelby were white fast bakers, with a minimum of interior decoration, even without rear seats, ready at least now go to the track. By order of the famous Rolling company Hertz, a party of cars was collected performed by GT-350N - they were handed over to the short-term rent to everyone to participate in these races. In April 1965, ordinary customers were offered a GT package, which included: a tuned suspension, more acute steering, disc braking mechanisms of all wheels, a dual outlet system and a special body coloring. By 1966, the individualization of Mustang reached new heights - according to advertising booklets, the interior of the style of style and the color scheme could be decorated in one of the 34 options (!).

Meanwhile, rivals did not consider Ford Mustang a full-fledged muscular car due to its small sizes. For sports cars of this class, a special term was invented - Pony Cars, pony cars. In this nickname hid a mockery over Mustang: first, his proud name, secondly, was stressed that, according to the measures of a true freedom-loving American, Mustang is still a little, thirdly, the power and speed he is also missing. True, the last statement has lost its relevance from year to year. Worse than others - the Fords went on the permanent jokes over the dimensions of the car, and decided to grow it. As it turned out later, it became a fatal mistake.

By the 1967 model year, Mustang in length and height added several centimeters. Accordingly, the transformation has undergone most body panels. Especially changed Fastback, which has rear windows and the trunk lid located now on the same line. Eight power units were offered to choose from - from row six-liter six-liter and 115 liters. with. to the new V8 of the volume of 7014 cubic meters. See, developing 355 horses. Installation of the seven liter engine (they were completed only the coolest Mustang - Shelby GT-500) became possible as a result of elongation of the engine compartment. Now the car could compete with the main muscular star - Chevrolet Camaro SS396. By the way, in 1967 Karrol Shelby handed over all the rights to produce Mustangs with the SHELBY SHELBY Corporation Corporation, refusing to participate in the preparation of subsequent sports versions of the car. Of great interest is another option of that year, the hydromechanical transmission of FMX, the shift of the gear in which could be carried out both automatically and manually (for some reason, it is believed that such boxes are the achievement of technical progress of recent years).

In 1968, there were changes in the line of engines - two new eight-cylinder engines appeared. From that moment on, the buyer of Mustang became the most difficult choice of ten power plants in volumes 3.3, 4.7, 5.0, 6.4 and 7.0 liters, with the following power gradations: 115, 120, 195, 230, 250, 271, 320, 325, 335 and 390 Horse power. On April 1, the SHELBY GT-500KR seven liter motor RAM AIR 428 COBRA JET, with plates of larger square and a special air intake plate, which, with a 325 liter of 325 liters, was added. with. Easily developed 410 liters. with. Up to 97 km / h GT-500KR accelerates in 5.4 seconds, and the maximum speed of the car exceeded 250 km / h. However, the waste from the classic appearance of the 1964 sample machine has negatively affected sales: if 620,000 Mustangs were implemented in 1966, then in 1968 it was already 320,000. But this figure once a ten exceeded the result of any other muscular car.

By the 1969 model year, Ford Mustang moved again, this time capital upgrades. With the previous wheelbase, the length of the machine has increased by 10 cm, and the mass is 60 kg; New versions appeared in the ruler - cheap E, luxurious Grande and Mach 1 with 335-strong engine. In turn, Mach 1, designed for superpopular races in a straight line at a quarter mile, was produced in three versions. The standard equipment of the most charged Mach 1 Drag Pack included even self-locking inter-wheeled differential rear axle.

But the most interest was called modifications of the BOSS series, which Ford has released for the purposes of oligation racing machines. Boss President Ford Motor Co. Simon Knudson first of the staff called the stylist Larry Shinoda, who worked in General Motors for a long time, where he was responsible for the design of the Chevrolet Corvette model. At the end of the sixties, the Shinoda switched to Ford to a special department engaged in the development of racing mandes. The younger Mustang Boss 302 (the numbers correspond to the engine operating volume in cubic inches) with a 290-strong engine was intended to combat Chevrolet Camaro Z28 in the TRANS AM series races, which took place on oval tracks. His older brother, Mustang Boss 429, was created to participate in the NASCAR series. The car was equipped with an eight-cylinder engine capacity of 375 liters. p., developed a torque in 611 nm at 3400 rpm, many parts of which were made of light alloys. The installation of a large motor was the cause of the revision of the front suspension, as a result of which the shock absorbers attachments changed, and the double transverse levers were lowered by 25 mm. BOSS 429 also received a sports quadrencable transmission, oil radiator and the best interior. Externally, the car was distinguished by a hood with a huge air intake, spoilers and extended arches of the wheels. However, despite the impressive data, in reality, the machine was not the best adapted for street racing: the lack of torque on the bottoms did not allow to win the starts from the place, and due to the wrong setting of the gas distribution mechanism, the motor skew after 4500 rpm instead of the design 6000. But on winding roads on the reliability of BOSS 429, did not know equal.

The peak in the short history of muscular car came in 1969. Then the US government has adopted a series of laws to tighten the requirements for average fuel consumption, exhaust and passive safety toxicity. As a result, not only became impossible to further increase the power and speed, but on the contrary, they began to steadily decline. In 1970 model year, Ford has taken a wait-and left virtually untouched model Mustang.

In 1971, the car once again grew, it gained almost 50 kg. The new machine finally lost originality and harmony, for which lovers are so fond of the original Mustangs, and already it is no secret was that the Mustang is transformed into another awkward comfortable coupe. At the head of the family turned modification engine 429 Cobra Jet Ram Air capacity of 370-375 liters. with. and the version of the Mach 1 and Boss 351 with 330-horsepower engine. In total, 150,000 vehicles were produced in 1971 model year, and the rate of decline in sales persisted.

With consequences in force environmental laws customers first encounter in September 1971, when dealers receive machine 1972 model year. All muscular cars lose up to 30% of its horsepower and sunset short era power race started as quickly as it came in the seven years before. Not escaped the sad fate and Mustang - in fact, it has ceased to be a sports car, and only 275-strong version of the Mach 1 reminiscent of past greatness. Production of a series of modifications Boss stopped.

All those who survived in 1971, were destroyed in 1972. Government again legislatively limit the allowable level of exhaust emissions. In order to fit into the norms, corporations, car manufacturers are re-applied proven and cheapest way - reducing the engine compression ratio. For example, the V8 engine capacity of 5751 blocks, mounted on the Mustang, now develops a measly 156 forces, and this despite the fact that he was the most powerful power unit. Most weak, six-cylinder, barely gave 95 liters. s., and with the same difficulty dispersed the heavy car.

In the 1974 model year, a completely new Mustang II started - an ordinary two-door sedan, who did not apply to sportiness. Four years later, an angular Mustang III appeared, with whom Ford tried to penetrate again into the sports machine sector. At the end of the eighties, powerful versions of SVO, Saleen and Cobra were prepared, but by that time the reputation of the car was pretty well-used due to reliability problems. Finally, from the autumn of 1993 to this day, Mustang IV is produced, stylized under the car of 1964. With the latest Mustang, there was a confusion, an indicative, by the way, in many ways. In 1998, a 320-strong modification of SVT debuted as a symbol of the revival of romance of distant sixties. However, it turned out suddenly, and later confirmed the results of the technical expertise that the SVT motor does not develop the stated capacity, and in the summer of 1999, the production of this modification had to collapse.

Most likely, it is simply unfair, and it is meaningless (with the exception of the commercial part of the case) try to revive the fact that the story belongs to. It is much more reasonable to create without regard to the past, inhaling the life in new names, the descendants will pronounce with respect then with respect. And the descendants will not forget anything and they will appreciate everything. So, Ford Mustang, the hero of our today's story, the international jury competition of the century, was included in the list of the 27 best twentieth century cars. And let him not get a victory, but he won the honor of entering the best of the best. Thirty-six years ago, Mustang proved that a dream car, beautiful, powerful and fast, is not necessarily checked to serve as a toy for a limited circle of Tolstosums. Dream can become a reality.
 

A source: Magazine "Wheels" [№2 / 2000]