That said, Ford was very smart in its marketing strategy. The ride quality, the stylish cabin options, and the sheer number of exterior options made the Mustang a mix of a sedan, station wagon, and sports car. It is for this reason that from its inception the Mustang was offered in coupe, convertible, and fastback versions.
It was its personality and not its power output, that kept the Mustang ahead of its competition.Īs GM, AMC, and Chrysler focused on creating performance-oriented cars Ford understood that what the public really wanted was a sports car that they could use on a daily basis. A perfect combination of attributes that made it a fun car to drive both in the city and on the highway. From the beginning, the Mustang was designed as a unique car. Two of the most notable were handling and style. While it is true that the 1968 Ford Mustang was no match for the Pontiac Firebird in terms of power, it certainly surpassed it in other areas. And it had cleverly implemented enhancements that would make the second-generation Mustang the benchmark for all other manufacturers.ġ968 Ford Mustang Engine / 1968 Pontiac Firebird Engine Ford had learned a thing or two since the Mustang was launched four years earlier. The question is, was that enough to end the Mustang's reign as America's favorite pony car? Summing up, Pontiac hit the Ford Mustang where it hurt the most. For its part, the most powerful Ford engine that could be installed in production Mustangs was the aforementioned 390 CID FE big block that produced "only" 325 hp. A total of four engines with 400 cu in displacement were available. In addition to the L76, Pontiac offered other variations of its successful small block engines. Sadly for Ford, that was only half of the options available for the 68' Firebird. Just for reference, the 1968 Ford Mustang needed a big-block engine (the 390 CID) to achieve that kind of power. It is for this reason that it also offered an "improved" version of the 元0 for that year, the L76 included in the Pontiac H.O. Still, Pontiac wasn't going to give Ford a chance. Back then, GM's small blocks dominated almost all Ford-produced engines, including some big-blocks. This "entry-level" V8 literally destroyed almost all the options offered by Ford. Pontiac offered the venerable 350 cu in and 265 hp 元0 engine as the first V8 variant. The rest of the options were obviously V8 engines. The standard 175-hp six-cylinder engine, as well as its 215-hp "Sprint" version, were aimed at people concerned about the fuel consumption (something like 10% of potential buyers back then). In this sense, Pontiac did not hesitate to use its entire arsenal to dethrone the Ford Mustang. When it comes to pony cars, power is a top priority. 1964 Ford Mustang & 1964 Pontiac GTO Not Everything is About Horsepower, right?
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