After reaching its peak in 1966, the Ford Mustang saw sales decline one year after the next. At first, this was due to the arrival of a lot of new competition, including the Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. But later, as the car began to grow in size and performance, it looked as though the market had begun to shift. So, in 1974, Ford reinvented the car as the Mustang II, shrinking it in size to something closer to the original product. The ploy worked, and sales did a turnaround – at least for a while. This ’74 edition of the Mustang II in Ghia trim looks as nice an example as you’ll find after nearly 50 years. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, this beauty is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $12,999. Thanks for the cool tip, Pnuts!
The arrival of the second-generation Mustang was quite fortuitous, as the timing occurred as the OPEC oil embargo in late 1973 led to rising gasoline prices. Car buyers quickly began to divert their attention to more fuel-efficient automobiles, and the new Mustang II was there to capitalize with 4 and 6-cylinder engines. The big V8 motors were no longer needed as the reinvented ‘Stang was 500 lbs. lighter and more than a foot and a half shorter than before. The sporty car now rode on a variant of the subcompact Pinto’s platform with unibody construction.
Sales bounced back from about 150,000 units to nearly double that number in just one year. The media liked the changes and Motor Trend bestowed Car of the Year honors on the Mustang II in 1974. But its competition had not changed, so instead of competing against the Camaro and Firebird the car was more closely associated with the imports, such as the Toyota Celica and Datsun 240Z. Buyers could choose from either a 2.3-liter I-4 or 2.8-L V6 and – from the dual exhaust system pictured – we’d say the latter found its way into the seller’s car.
If it’s true, this Ford only has 27,000 miles on the odometer and looks to have been babied since the day the car was new. It’s likely that everything photographed is original and as if the vehicle was just released from a time capsule. Since a dealer appears to be involved in the sale, no history is offered on the car and the interior is the nicest I’ve ever seen on one of these little ponies. This version of the Mustang was the right car at the right time, but Ford would shift gears again in 1979 with the Fox-body editions.
The guys who squirelled these things away, back in the day, are finally leaving this mortal coil, and the heirs are unloading them on a daily basis, it would seem.
Glad WE had Mr. Iacocca and not Mr. Fox. Great looking 49 year old stang.
1974-78 Mustangs will go down in history for being one thing only:
Glorified Pintos. Because that’s all they were.
Except for it’s not a pinto and they were built on two different frames
Well, the II is less a Pinto than the original Mustang was a Falcon.
So should we be damning the 1964 Mustang, now?
It was a derivative of the Ford Cheapskate 500 – a granny car, made by the granny president of Ford. Robert McNamara, who loved “his” car, the painted-dash, cardboard door-card Falcon the way some here love SBCs.
All cars have starting points. The Ford V8 of 1932, was a variant of the Ford B, which was derived from the Model A. Does that denigrate it, as the performance car of choice in its era? The Pinto wasn’t packaged to appeal to he-men, but unlike the Falcon, it was attractive inside, stylish outside, had some technological innovation (manufacture of a carbody and side windows of extreme curvature; side-door protective beams, rack-and-pinion steering; all on a light chassis).
It’s not a performance car. Nothing was a performance car in 1974. Emissions mandates choked car engines until electronic FI with computer feedback systems, were developed.
You beat me to it…
And the fox everybody loves was based on the same platform as the Ford Fairmont.
What exactly was this car a “starting point” for? What innovations did it contain over its predecessors? How was it superior, in any way, shape, or form, to my favorite Mustangs of ’67-’68? I see nothing but a supremely disappointing devolution of an icon here.
That being said, I’m sure it’s somebody’s cup of tea and I wish the seller GLWS.
Say what you want about this car. I need to qualify what I’m about to say by saying this was by far my least favorite of all Mustangs. I owned a 69 Mach 1 I picked up from the original owner in 1980 for 500 bucks. Nope don’t own it still, yep was stupid and sold it. But I was 19 years old and the world was my oyster, lol. All that being said, if this car is as it presents itself I challenge you to find a nicer cleaner car for $13,000 today! I wouldn’t mind having this Pony in my stable.
It’s not original paint. So what else might the new owner discover? It could be a great buy. Go see it in person first or don’t bid. Unless you’re already crazy for this model. It’s definitely nice enough for a period movie car. But it won’t survive close scrutiny based on a few things I noticed in the photos. But compared to a brand new car you’re gonna flip, maybe this makes sense for someone. Movie car is what I see.
Rolling the windows up and down by hand doesn’t sound very luxurious
Well that lame pony of1974,i say lame because it couldn’t get out of it’s own way, keep in migturbond it wasn’t luxury, so of course it was roll up & down windows, no A/C, AM radio, simple sells.
Very nice Mustang II. People can hate on the Mustang II all they want, but as Russ and other Barn Finds writers repeatedly point out, they were very successful and the right car for their time. This is a good example of how the Mustang II, a basic economy car at its core, could be turned into something quite attractive. Just look at that smartly trimmed interior which would be right at home in any modern car.
I agree. Although I was way too young to drive a car at the time, I remember cars like this, and I’ve always been interested in cars like this. I like the Mustang II, I like the Maverick and the Comet.
I agree with Bob. It looks very nice. When you stop and think about it….. How many of these are there REALLY out there that are in this nice of a condition? Ones that are NOT Cobras? Thats original and not restored? My only thing is, I wish there three pedals under the dash instead of an automatic.
As Bob_in_TN, and a few others have said, this was the right car for the times. If it wasn’t for the mustang II, the mustang would have died. In addition to that, Ford was very serious in th mid 80’s to change the mustang to front wheel drive. The Probe came very close to becoming the mustang, that would of been the end, PERIOD!! So cut the little mustang II some slack.
As a DriveinStyle said, the three pedals were preferable! I was and still am a huge fan of the first gerneration Mustangs. as a young guy, I hated to see the what they did to the mustang as it grew larger and larger and was completely excited when thye came out with the Mustang II. I was in College at the time and wone of my best friends had one, with the “three pedals” He and i drove it on one 3 day week end all over Virgina. many many miles and it was FUN TO DRIVE. I wouldn’t mind at all to own one today! (His looked just like the one posted here!).
Man, I’m a sucker for a red car and that’s as bright as red gets. Silver interior was always a curiosity to me. This looks nice with the thick carpet and wood trimmed dash. It would be a people magnet at the C&C.
I do not remember these cars having that good of shine to them. It reeks of fresh paint of a different kind of paint than original
I had a 78 Stang similar to the $13,000 golden oldie that some one is trying to sell on this site. I wouldn’t pay more than $5000. Save your money and buy a 73 or older model. It will have a larger engine and more nostalgia value down the road. Something to think about.
Can’t for the life of me figure why these cars are asking this kind of $ tag??? Nice sure, old sure, but collectible…are the really that desirable? Cobra II and the King Cobra yes. This seems silly 8-)
In late 73 when I was almost 12 years old I was working with dad in a milo field and a funny looking blue car pulled up and stopped on the road about 100 yards from us. My oldest brother got out and walked out to us and when he got there I asked what it was because it looked like some kind of Vega from where I was and I was told it was a new mustang. I told him that it was the oddest looking mustang I ever saw, ended up taking my drivers test in that car. V6 auto, really easy to drive
BF profiled a nice blue one the other day now just need a nice clean white one being patriotic for the 4th and all
I’ve never understood the dislike for the Mustang II by Mustang enthusiasts. So it’s a “glorified” Pinto, so what? I’d drive one if given a chance to do so. If the car is in reasonable (driveable) condition, I’d pay to buy it.
Because it looks frumpy and nothing like a muscle car?
That may be, but given the decade it was produced, it seems fitting. If you want a muscle car, put a V6 engine under the hood, beef up the suspension, etc.
I have said before, I am old timer who worked at a Ford dealer on the overnight cleaning/detailing used cars and prepping new ones prior to the mechanics inspection before they were delivered. I cleaned boat loads of these. They sold well. The 74 4 or V-6 is a better choice than the 75. The 74 didn’t have the catalytic converter and smog pump unless it has the California emissions package. The 74’s were faster than the 75’s and up in the 4 or 6. . This one is the 6 without a/c. It makes it a little easier to work on. One of the things that we usually needed to fix was the glove box cover. They didn’t arrive to us with a proper fit. They were either crooked or extended. If you look closely, you will see that this one was not corrected. The 74’s had white needles for all of the instruments and the wiper switch was on the left side of the dashboard. The steering wheel is also unique to the 74 as well as the blinkers in the grille. They had a plastic chrome line horizontally placed on them. Also the Tachometer has a red line. These items changed in 75. The interiors of the Ghia’s were plush because Ghia was an Italian design company. You could always tell a 6 cylinder in 74 because it had 2 exhaust pipes out of one muffler. The 4 had a single outlet from the one muffler. Options that are missing on this one are A//C, light group, tinted glass, wheel upgrade, sport mirrors, rear defogger, radio upgrade and the manual sunroof. Based on the photos, it looks like a really nice example. You will not see one every day. The 6 will be just enough to keep up with traffic. Nothing more. 75 brought the much needed 302. I hope that it finds a good home. Definitely a nice, easy old cruise car.
Hahaha! A luxury Mustang II. That’s an oxymoron!
In 1972 my aunt sold her white 1968 Olds Dynamic 88 4dr. sedan to my mom, and bought a new red 1972 Ford Maverick 4dr. She should have kept the Oldsmobile! It only had around 20,000 miles on it. Yes, Ford models could get uglier in the early 70’s. If only she had waited two more years.
Someone asked what innovation? Well the Mustang II front end is probably the most copied/ used front suspension in built hot rods since it came out. It kept the Mustang alive in very bad times and the name never went away (camaro ??). It was the right car for the time, same as it was in 64, Times were different, there was an oil embargo, long lines at pumps and no gas at times. Everyone including the magazines were complaining about how big the Mustang had got and away from its roots. Well they got their wish, and if it had only had the V* option to start it might not have survived until the Fox Body came out. the original was parts bin based off an economy car, the II was the same. I am not a fan of the styling personally, but I understand WHY we got the II and thankful the Probe did not become a Mustang and be the end of the line for the model.
You can see in the photos it’s a respray. They made a lot of effort to do it right in some places, then not at all in others. It’s a nice job but I wonder about original mileage anytime someone has taken all that effort, only to realize they are upside down. But at $10k maybe. But I can’t do that color. If I’m doing a respray, I’m evaluating original color more accurately. And if anyone actually would want this if it’s original color. It’s not like this different bodied Pinto is going to be worth gobs ever. A Pinto is probably going to be worth more in the long run. Unless it was this color. I have no love for that color unless it’s an early Fiat. Anything else including Ferrari needs something interesting.
My buddy a 4 cylinder, manual Mustang II … you measured zero to sixty times with an abacus.
Mustang? Pppffffft