Mustang Fastback image sourced
The year is 1964 and in Canada its a beautiful spring day which is about to get a lot hotter. April fourth the first Ford Mustang sells at the George Parsons Ford dealership in Canada. With the official launch and sale of the Ford Mustang at the world fair on 17 April 3 days later.
It was new, it was fast and it was and still is a beautiful car which took the world by storm. The initial V8 models were released as GT range with the GT tag and the engines displacement of either 260 or 289 inch.
The opening price was $2,368 for the standard range, a bargain in today's market. The most popular V8 model was the 225HP, 168kW wow my current V6 has more power than that. But it doesn't sound anything like an old Mustang.
The thing I miss about old cars the most are their Carburetors, yes direct fuel injection is more efficient, more powerful and more precise but there's something about that old school rumble that a carby gives. Nothing can compare to it.
In 1965 Ford took another leap forward with its best iteration of the Mustang, the Shelby GT 500. Yes the Cobra is also a fan favourite but nothing compares to the look and rumble of a Shelby 500.
With a Windsor 289 4.7L HiPo K-Code the Shelby had a 271hp 202kW V8 engine and its distinctive high rise intake manifold. This bad boy needed to breath! The 2 door fast back was my favourite model and seeing it in Gone in 60 Seconds reboot was amazing. The further play on the initial Gone in 60 seconds giving this car a lucrative back story for Nicholas Cage's character.
This machine was the perfect car to ever grace the road and has held value throughout the years. In Australia a variant will cost between $200,000 - $400,000 a hefty price for car but worth every penny.
Fords at it again producing some of the best cars around and the newer model mustangs are definitely one to salivate over. It's power a big increase on the older models with now a 306kW engine and a 5L V8 engine for performance. Don't focus on this car if you want fuel economy, you won't get far 13L per 100km.
But the new models are different, I once sat along the beach as a 1966 Shelby drove past slow. It's rumble beautiful and setting off everyone's car alarms. It's rumble felt deep in your chest.
But today's models where they are more powerful they aren't as loud, due to engine upgrades, performance modifications and fuel injection. I have to admit I love the new cars but no where near as much as the older models. To me a muscle car doesn't feel like a muscle car without the muscle and the engine sound is a flex. Just like a turbo is to a sports car a V8's roar is the flex.
I'm not alone in this and it was a key criticism of new model Mustangs, people were shocked that there was no sound. They actually perceived the car as slower and less powerful as prior models.
It was so much of a set back the Ford had to put speakers in the driver's seat to replicate engine sound to the driver! What? You can read abit about it
here
Amazing! So I thought I'd ask the question here today, what are your thoughts. Is it all in a roar?