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American Muscle Cars: 1974 FORD MUSTANG 11
By James W. Bryant
This week I took a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC for a week with the family and the Ford Mustangs. Just when you think that you’ve experienced it all something new presents its self. Not only did I get the thrill of cruising the strip with the girl of my dreams while being driven by our teenage daughters, but also seeing a factory installed hood ornament on a Ford Mustang for my first time. What a week!
It was 1974 and the oil embargo had placed its stamp on the time. With an uncertain economy came a change in the way consumers were driving, more specifically what consumers were driving. With demand for fuel efficiency Lee Iacocca, President of Ford Motor Company, introduced yet another success, the Ford Mustang 11. It was a needed and welcomed edition to the car world. It was loved so much that it was voted Motor Trend Magazine’s Car of the Year.
Now make no mistake about it, the Mustang 11 was certainly no power horse, but it was considered to be nimble for its time, and too, it got good gas mileage.
There were only two engine options on the car. Engine Code Y: 140 cubic inch 2.3L 2V 4-cylinder engine @ 88hp or engine Code Z: 171 cubic inch 2.8L 2V V-6 engine @ 105hp.
My teenage daughters always have an angle when doing something for their parents. As it turns out Ford did too. I asked the owner of the Mustang 11 what was the story behind the hood ornament. He smiled and said, “It was being billed as Mustangs little Lincoln.” That car went on to sell 385,993 units. That’s pretty significant when only 134,867 cars were sold in ’73.
James W. Bryant
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