is falcon the mustang twin brother? or poor cousin?

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by dylancox

Mustang II was a total flop wasn't it? I remember watching Clarkson say many years ago on Top Gear 'The new horrid fuel efficient model (Mustang II) which replaced it ('73 mustang) was so awful that we won't spoil your evening by showing it on television.'

Jeremy Clarkson is an anti-American douche.

In retrospect the Mustang II was the weakest of Mustangs, but it absolutely was not a flop. It debuted about the time of the Arab oil embargo. It sold very well, and the 1974 model was Motor Trend's Car of the Year (more prestigious then than now).

The Mustang II was the first Mustang to have rack-and-pinion steering. Its front suspension design remains a very popular conversion for Ford street rods.

On the down side, 1974 was the only year Mustang was not available with a V8. Performance was awful for the entire run, but that was true of practically all American cars of the era.

The Fox-body Mustang that replaced the Mustang II for the 1979 model year had more interior room, but was lighter than the Mustang II.

Still, without the Mustang II, there would be no Mustang today.

[69Mach1]

Originally Posted by dylancox

Mustang II was a total flop wasn't it? I remember watching Clarkson say many years ago on Top Gear 'The new horrid fuel efficient model (Mustang II) which replaced it ('73 mustang) was so awful that we won't spoil your evening by showing it on television.'

Actually I think the history books recall that it sold OK. It was the right car for the right time given the fuel crisis. Most purists dont consider these real Mustangs however and from what I've read they were pretty horrible to drive...apparently didnt stop people buying them back in the mid 70s.

The comparable Camaros of the day were more appealing IMO.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Maybe i'm mis-interpreting what your saying but the original US Falcon was released in the late 50's in the US, Mustang wasn't out until 64, based on the Falcon platform.

I thought the XR Falcon was advertised as Mustang bred because of the 289, and the XT was more, more Mustang because of the 302.

I don't ever really recall the 66 XR being based on Mustang because at that time it was still the original Falcon based version, the 2nd gen Mustang wasn't released until 67, after the XR was released here in 66, and it wasn't much different from the original Falcon based 64 Mustang anyway.

I would say that the 66 XR evolved on it own and got much bigger than XP, whereas the Mustang sort of stayed the same until the bigger 69. Was the 69 based off the bigger Falcon by then?

There were three cars all about the same time Falcon, mustang and Compact Fairlane
They were all individual vehicles that drew from common parts
but they were never on the same platform.....

[morak001]

Originally Posted by jpd80

There were three cars all about the same time Falcon, mustang and Compact Fairlane
They were all individual vehicles that drew from common parts
but they were never on the same platform.....

I agree that there is far less commonality in these models than many believe, but where did the Comet & Torino (late 60's) fit in the picture?

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by morak001

I agree that there is far less commonality in these models than many believe, but where did the Comet & Torino (late 60's) fit in the picture?

Comet was the mercury version of the Falcon.

Torino developed from basically the two door Fairlane, there was one short run of similar
vehicle called the 70 and a half Falcon but it was just a rebadge of that larger car as the
previous Falcon morphed into the Maverick with new front end and flash top hat.

Interestingly, FoA chose not to go with maverick,even though it was natural successor to XY Falcon,
it couldn't be extended to a Fairlane or LTD as FoA wanted so XA and ZF were developed instead.

1970 1/2 Falcon ( Torino)



Ford maverick 4-door



Ford maverick 2-door

[Moby Vic]

Comet was the Mercury version of the Falcon in the early '60s, and then it was the Mercury version of the Ford Maverick.

The '70-1/2 Falcon was available as a post sedan only (no hardtop version). The Torino debuted for '68 as the top trim level of the Fairlane. For '70 the series was renamed Torino. For '72, when the midsize Ford chassis switched from unibody to body on frame, the top series was the Gran Torino.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Comet was the mercury version of the Falcon.

Torino developed from basically the two door Fairlane, there was one short run of similar
vehicle called the 70 and a half Falcon but it was just a rebadge of that larger car as the
previous Falcon morphed into the Maverick with new front end and flash top hat.

Interestingly, FoA chose not to go with maverick,even though it was natural successor to XY Falcon,
it couldn't be extended to a Fairlane or LTD as FoA wanted so XA and ZF were developed instead.

1970 1/2 Falcon ( Torino)

image

Ford maverick 4-door

image

Ford maverick 2-door

image

I remember seeing Al Turners plan he developed when he first came to Oz, the Maverick was one of the vehicles he wanted to race at Bathurst. Would have beaten the Torana L34, small car with V8 engine spec by 5 years or so.

Shows that FoA must have seriously looked at selling Maverick here.

[dimka100]

I was watching the latest episode of Alcatraz tonight, they had a new dark blue standard 5.0 mustang in it ... if they sold it in Australia, I don't think the performance Falcons would have a chance to compete on sales ...

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by dimka100

I was watching the latest episode of Alcatraz tonight, they had a new dark blue standard 5.0 mustang in it ... if they sold it in Australia, I don't think the performance Falcons would have a chance to compete on sales ...

Watch the chase here: http://jalopnik.com/bullitt/

[dylancox]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I remember seeing Al Turners plan he developed when he first came to Oz, the Maverick was one of the vehicles he wanted to race at Bathurst. Would have beaten the Torana L34, small car with V8 engine spec by 5 years or so.

Shows that FoA must have seriously looked at selling Maverick here.

Funny that.. isn't the Ford Maverick we know here in Aus a rebadged Nissan Patrol?

[jpd80]

Let's not forget th significance of Maverick, FNA used the mustang's front end to revitalise the aging Falcon,
stuck a new top hat on the XR-XY floor plan and voila, new car that sold well and didn't cost much to develop.

How about this as an example of One Ford:
1. Joint venture next generation Mustang and Falcon front end/engine bay/Crash protection.\/Firewall section
2. E8 Falcon floor pan from fire wall back - IRS design made in common with Ford global designs
3. slightly wider versions of Mondeo/Fusion top hats onto Falcon, making sedan, hatch and Station wagon possible
4. Top hat stamps and dies shared with Fusion, Mondeo or maybe shared with next gen US Taurus
5. Dash, electrical systems and interior trim/seating all variants of Fusion Mondeo/Taurus.

The above achieves the objectives of One Ford making Falcon use existing engineering modules and parts
that are already available from global parts suppliers, it's a way for FoA to get funding, keep lcal manufacturing
and also channel more work and parts sourcing through Ford's internal chanels, the car may become much more
attractive to other regions by being more integrated with parts sourcing and giving that RWd flair needed to ranges.