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Ford Mustang
For all its style and
well-marketed sportiness, the Mustang was
based heavily on familiar components. Much
of the chassis, suspension, and drivetrain
was derived from the Ford Falcon and intermediate
Ford Fairlane. The car had a unitized platform-type
frame derived from that of the 1964 Falcon,
with box-section side rails and five welded
crossmembers. Although the majority of Mustangs
were hardtop coupes, durability problems with
the new frame led to the unusual step of engineering
the (necessarily less rigid) convertible first,
to ensure adequate stiffness. Overall length
of the Mustang and Falcon was identical, at
181.6 in (4613 mm), although the Mustang's
wheelbase at 108 in (2743 mm) was slightly
shorter.
Much of the appeal-and
the profit-in such a low-priced car came from
the options list. Although Ford was not the
first to offer an extensive array of options
for buyers to choose from, (Pontiac being
arguably the industry leader in that regard),
the Mustang's optional equipment list enabled
buyers to customize their cars to their tastes
and budget. It also resulted in typical transaction
prices hundreds of dollars above the base
price, making the Mustang a profitable car
for both dealer and manufacturer.
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