Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang. I am not a car aficionado nor am I a fan of sports/muscle cars, but there's a little place in my heart for the Mustang. My first memories of riding in a car take place in a Mustang. My mom bought a
68 California Special, 5 years before I was born, and that car schlepped us around most of my childhood.
In the mid-eighties, it was on its last leg, and rather than put any time or money into it my parents sold it and moved on to their next car. Hindsight being 20-20, we all sure wish they had kept it. Only 4100 of the '68 Special were made and they are quite rare and valuable these days. Every-so-often I'll see a restored one on the road. They sure clean up well and make for a nice looking car.
A few years later, a new Mustang arrived in the family. After getting my license at 16 and not having my own car to drive, I saved and saved and saved and at 17 (with some parent help) bought a used Mustang convertible. It wasn't the old school version from the 60s or even 70s, but the new body type of the late 80s.
I LOVED this car. A convertible would never be my car of choice now, but in high school and college that car was a good time.
I was driving behind a brand new Mustang on the drive home from school today.
While it has some similarities to the old-school version, they've updated it tons. It's not really my type, but it is a nice looking car.
You're bound to see a Mustang (or multiple) anytime you're on the road here in California. I don't know about the rest of the country, but here it's kind of icon and has been for most of that 50 years.
They were as rare as hens teeth here. I ever remember only one in the area. A builder who worked in the States in the 50s, 60s and 70s, shipped it back. And you would know it too having heard it once. It had a thirsty roar of a petrol drinking car in a country fixated on the cost of petrol and anything sourced from oil generally.
ReplyDeleteIn truth though, it isn't the Maloneys car I think when I see a Mustang but Jim Rockford roaring away from his mobile home in a car park overlooking the ocean. And even if it was a 1974 Pontiac Firebird we didn't know enough to know the difference.
What the holy moly were you working at as a kid that you could afford a convertible. It would have been a doctors car here, and one in real demand too. None of your GPs.
Yes, I'd say it says California even today, more it says SoCal. But I'd say that healthy wealthy sundrenched fecundity of the past has largely gone. There was a sort of ripeness to what we saw from LA that really hasn't been replaced. But when you see that car, or hear one, it sorta says Farah Fawcett-M or the male version. A Prius doesn't really cut it in those stakes, does it.
I don't even remember worrying about the gas when I drove mine. It was relatively inexpensive a gallon ($0.80-$0.99) at that time and I only drove it around town. But now? Oh I'm just sure it was probably one of the most inefficient gas guzzlers. With what you all pay and have paid for gas it's no wonder the muscle car doesn't have much of a following across the Atlantic. In fact, I can't say on my visits to the various countries in Europe that I've seen many sports cars at all. I would attribute that to the cost of gas?
DeleteThe requirement here is for something nippy. Where the power to weight ratio is far better that it was and is with most cars built in the States. The models here come from Ferrari and the Porsche 911, and less the latter since it has rear wheel drive. But we simply don't have the roads for a muscle car. In truth a Jag is the nearest we have to one, and they are more lommo-salon car than anything else.
DeleteBut yes, gas as you call it, was and is one of the main reasons. A liter is €1.50*4 = €6 ==>$8.25 a US gallon.
That's double of what I paid for gas (or should I call it petrol instead ;) when I filled up this afternoon. We complain about our +$4.00 a gallon, and ours is just that high because of state taxes - the rest of the country is still in the $3s.
DeleteWhat do you mean you don't have the roads for them - length, space, number of?
Cars in Europe aren't designed to go straight, but to corner. And 90%+ are twisty-turny local country roads. You've seen them.
DeleteOnce they figured out how to put the drive wheels in the front, the death toll on the roads halved. Rear wheel drive will keep you going straight on regardless of you turning the front wheels. It's better to be pulled round a turn than pushed round it
Yah, that would make sense. The roads are definitely windier, not really made for "cruising".
DeleteI had never driven a rear wheel drive car until I lived on the East Coast and bought an SUV with 4x4 for the snow. I hadn't realized that if it wasn't in 4WD (I had to put manually change it to 4WD) it drove in RWD. Holy moly! I slid all over that road until I was educated on the "fun" of RWD. I can see where that would have been so dangerous.
1965 candy apple red mustang is my dream car....I use to get so excited when I would see 60's mustangs in CA.
ReplyDeleteYah, that's an iconic color for sports cars isn't it. "They" say it's also a ticket-magnet. :) I've never had a red car before.
DeleteThe only ticket I have ever had was in a red car.
DeleteI've ridden in Mustangs, but I've never been behind the wheel of one.
ReplyDeleteNot a big car person..but that is a good looking car.
ReplyDelete