Ford · 1973–1978

Ford Mustang

The second-generation Ford Mustang, marketed as the Ford Mustang II, is a pony car which was manufactured and marketed by Ford from 1973 until 1978, featuring a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with four passenger seating in two-door coupé and three-door hatchback body styles. Introduced in September 1973 for the 1974 model year, the Mustang II arrived roughly at the same time as the oil embargo of 1973 and subsequent fuel shortages. Developed under Lee Iacocca, it was an "entirely new kind of pony car." Ford "decided to call it Mustang II, since it was a new type of pony car designed for an era of high gas prices and fuel shortages." The Mustang II was 490 lb (222 kg) lighter and almost 19 in (483 mm) shorter than the 1973 Mustang, and derived from the subcompact Pinto platform. While sharing a limited number of driveline components with the Pinto, the Mustang II employed an exclusive subframe, isolating its front suspension and engine mount subframe. The steering used a rack-and-pinion design. Named Motor Trend's 1974 Car of the Year and reaching over 1.1 million sales over four years of production. The Mustang II is noted for its effective marketing and high sales, as well as its featuring some of the most criticized aspects of the automotive malaise era.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Ford Mustang · Successor: Ford Mustang

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Background

The first-generation Mustangs grew in size; the 1973 model had become markedly larger than the original model. The pony car market segment saw decreasing sales in the early-1970s "with many buyers turning to lower-priced, fuel-efficient compacts like Ford's own Ford Maverick – a huge first-year success itself." The Mustang was growing to become an intermediate-sized sedan, which "was too big and alienated many in its customer base." The allure of the original Mustang was its trim size and concept. The automakers in Detroit had "begun to receive vibrations from the only source it really listens to — new-car buyers… The message: Build smaller cars" as customers stopped buying and the inventory of unsold new cars climbed during the summer of 1973, and there were already positive market expectations for the new downsized Mustang. Automakers were "scrambling" by December 1973 as "the trend toward smaller, less extravagant cars to surge ahead faster than anyone had expected." After becoming president of Ford Motor Company on December 10, 1970, Lee Iacocca ordered the development of a smaller Mustang for 1974 introduction. Initial plans called for a downsized Mustang based on the compact Ford Maverick, similar in size and power to the Falcon, the basis for the original Mustang. Those plans were subsequently scrapped in favor of a smaller Mustang based on the subcompact Ford Pinto, which had been introduced in 1971. Rather than competing against GM's larger pony cars, Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, the Mustang II now competed against sporty subcompact models, including GM's Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Starfire, Pontiac Sunbird, and Chevrolet Monza. The new model competed also with 2+2 import coupes such as the Toyota Celica, Datsun 240Z, Mazda RX-3, and the European Ford

Design

Based on the Ford Pinto, the initial Mustang II production design was done by young Ford designer Howard "Buck" Mook and was personally selected by Iacocca The new model, however, was "less of a Pinto than the '64½ had been a Falcon." Two body styles were available; a two-door notchback coupe and a sportier three-door "2+2" hatchback (also referred to as a "liftback"). A folding rear seat was optional on the notchback coupe and was standard on all hatchback models. "2+2" also accurately described the rear seat capacity according to period commentators. Weight distribution was front-heavy, with a 1974 V6-equipped car having 58 percent of its weight over the front wheels. The Mustang II was also the first American car to have power-assisted rack and pinion steering.

Chassis

The Mustang II uses a Hotchkiss-type rear suspension consisting of a live hypoid rear axle supported and located by semi-elliptic multi-leaf springs, two telescoping hydraulic shock absorbers, and, on most models, a rear anti-sway bar. Suspension Front : Compression strut with lower trailing links, stabilizer bar and coil springs Rear : Hotchkiss rigid axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and anti-sway bars Steering Rack and Pinion Brakes Front Brake Size : 9.3 in | 236 mm. Rear Brake Size : 9.0 in | 229 mm. Tires / Wheels Tires : B78 x 13 Wheels : 13 x 5 Optional Tires Tires : BR70 x 13 RWL SBR (Mach 1) Tires : CR70 x 13 Tires : 195/70R13

Model year changes

=== 1974 === Designers and engineers worked feverishly on a "reinvented" Mustang, mimicking the first version, by the traditional new model year introduction during the fall of 1973. The new Mustang II returned to a size closer to the 1965 model, ultimately winning the Motor Trend Car of the Year. The economical Mustang II became popular for consumers almost concurrently with their experience with gasoline rationing that was part of the 1973 oil crisis. "Just as the original Mustang had been based on mundane Falcon components, Iacocca and company decided to use some of the parts from the new-for-1971 subcompact Ford Pinto as the basis for the Mustang." The new Mustang was viewed as a "fun-to-drive economy" car, but "in reality, it shared its underpinnings with the ... Pinto." The Mustang II carried handling and engineering improvements; its performance was comparable to contemporary Detroit products, yet Consumer Guide ranked it very low in handling, "near the bottom of the low-price sporty compact class". Competitors also included the Toyota Celica and the Datsun 240Z. Sales of such imports attracted fewer than 100,000 customers in 1965, but by 1972 demand had increased; therefore, the "Mustang II's mission was to capture a big slice of this sizable new pie." Available as a coupe or three-door hatchback, the new car's base engine was a 140 cu in (2.3 L) SOHC I4, the first fully metric-dimensioned engine built in the U.S. A 171 cu in (2.8 L) V6 was the sole optional engine. Mustang II packages ranged from the base "Hardtop," 2+2 hatchback, a "Ghia" luxury group with vinyl roof, and a top-of-the-line V6-powered Mach 1. A V8 engine option would not be available in a Mustang for the only time for the 1974 model year (except in Mexico). "The Mustang II's attractive all-new

Reviews

=== Contemporary === The Mustang II was named Motor Trend's Car of the Year, in 1974, the last Mustang to achieve that honor until 1994. Nevertheless, there were also mixed contemporary reviews including Consumer Reports reporting that "there are better subcompacts on the market than the Mustang II" and recommended the AMC Gremlin as a car that was at least as good, and in some respects superior, in terms of seating, noise level, normal and emergency handling, and acceleration; and Road & Track described that the Ford was neither fast nor particularly good handling. Consumer reaction to the Mustang II was enthusiastic with a combined total production of the 1974–1978 models exceeding 1.1 million. "As the smallest, lightest Mustang since the original, it was a fresh start for Ford's pony car and a refreshing return to rationality. And it couldn't have been better timed, introduced just two months before the first "Energy Crisis" upended America. People came in droves to see the Mustang II – and to buy." "Not only did gasoline prices spike up, but its very supply looked to be in jeopardy. Economy immediately became a hot item, and this helped boost the smaller Mustang's first calendar year sales to 385,993." According to automotive historian Patrick Foster, "Ford executives decided to call the car 'Mustang II', since it was a new type of pony car designed for an era of high gas prices and fuel shortages". "Many people have never warmed up to the Mustang II, some even complaining it reminds them of the Pinto. But in its day, the public and the press sang praises for the little Mustang II. After all, a car with excellent fuel efficiency, sporty looks and a low price tag will always find acceptance. Mustang II was a success, simply because it was the right car at the right t

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Ford Mustang (second generation)

aka

Ford Mustang II , Ford T5 (Germany)

Class

Pony car, Subcompact car

Production

1973–1978

Model years

1974–1978

Predecessor

Ford Mustang (first generation)

Successor

Ford Mustang (third generation)

Assembly

United States: Dearborn, Michigan (Ford River Rouge Complex); Milpitas, California (San Jose Assembly Plant); Edison, New Jersey (Edison Assembly), Mexico: Mexico City (La Villa Assembly)

Layout

Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive

Body style

2-door coupe, 3-door hatchback

Related

Ford Pinto, Mercury Bobcat

Manufacturer

Ford

Engine

140 CID Lima I4, 171 CID Cologne V6, 302 CID Windsor V8

Transmission

4-speed manual, 3-speed C3 automatic, 3-speed C4 automatic (302 V8)

Wheelbase

96.2 in

Length

175.0 in

Width

70.2 in

Height

2-door: 50.3 in, 3-door: 50.0 in

Designer

Buck Mook, Dick Nesbitt

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5467870CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang_(second_generation)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1371516787 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_Mustang_II_(Centropolis_Laval_%2710).jpgPublic domain · Photo: Bull-Doser · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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