The Lost Mustang Generation That Deserves More Respect

The article revisits a less celebrated chapter in Ford Mustang history: the second generation, produced from 1974 to 1978, often seen by enthusiasts as the least popular. It notes the Mustang’s total sales of about 10.8 million units since the 1964½ launch and highlights fan preferences for other eras, from Gen-X’s Fox Body 5.0 to the high-horsepower reputation of the sixth and seventh generations. After describing the first-gen shift in 1971 when the model was lengthened to fit big-block Cobra Jet engines, the piece explains that the 1970s oil embargo and falling performance-car demand led Lee Iacocca to push a smaller Mustang. In 1974, Ford introduced the Mustang II based on the Pinto, with coupe or hatchback body styles and an early absence of a V8 option.