Ford Stuffed A Compact Car's 65-HP V-4 Behind The Driver Of Its First Mustang

The article revisits a key piece of Ford history: how, in 1962, the company built an early “pre-alpha” sports-car concept that closely foreshadowed the eventual flagship Mustang in approach rather than appearance. It frames the story through the broader theme of secrecy and controlled leaks, contrasting modern speculation with a historical reality where Ford bypassed internal boardroom approval after the costly Edsel failure. The piece describes how Henry II, leader of Ford at the time, faced competing visions for a new sports car—Robert McNamara’s restrained “Cardinal” concept versus Lee Iacocca’s more ambitious direction. With McNamara heading to the Pentagon, Iacocca’s team reportedly designed a secret concept and leaked it publicly. The narrative then begins to detail the unconventional engine concept at the heart of the project: a V4.