Our intrepid CC sleuth in Hungary, Roshake 77, continues to find and post American cars (among others) that are somewhat surprising to see there. But this Mustang II is the most surprising one to date, at least for me. The European Ford Capri was such a better sporty coupe in every way. But then I should know by now that objective parameters have little to do with why a Mustang II ends up in Budapest.
I have no idea if this was an original import or left behind by an American. The MII had amber rear turn lights in the US too, so that’s not going to help. It’s a bit hard to imagine that Ford would have been able to sell these in Europe at the time, as Europeans typically wanted American cars back then for their distinctive American qualities, which at the time was either bigness or uniqueness, like the original Mustang, which had a strong following.
But the Mustang II? But anything’s possible.
There is one clue that might be relevant: I see a stick shift for a manual transmission in there. In the US, the odds of a top end Ghia coupe being bought without the automatic were not good, whereas in Europe, sticks were still the rule, except for the big American strassenkreuzer. That’s hardly proof, but maybe someone in Europe really wanted a baby Mustang brougham back in 1975 or so. Stranger things have happened.
I saw a Mustang II, also a Ghia notchback, in Switzerland in the early eighties. It stuck out there and it stuck in my mind for almost 40 years. But it wasn’t brown, like this one … and most Ghia’s. This one is a survivor.
The Capri did look better and was better dynamically. But in Europe it was also common as dirt. Just like a Mustang is over here. I’m sure this driver was feted at the local Ford meets for years.
Growing up in the Netherlands in the 70s I have to say these Mustangs were not that rare. You would see them here and there, far less of course than the much more common Capri.
Not sure why but for many years the Capri had a slightly “wrong” image here. In certain circles you would not want to be seen in a Capri, a young lads sporty car whereas the (ugly) Mustang would be much more acceptable.
The father of a friend bought a new Mustang new in 1977 or so. They only owned it for a year or two, to be replaced by a new Porsche 924.
“Wrong” image? Driving a contemporary Chevy Camaro or Pontiac Firebird would be the superlative degree. With a big chicken sticker on the hood. Moms, lock up your daughters.
I know nothing of European sales, but remember when these were everywhere—and this particular paint/roof combination very common, including one in our family. The 302/automatic was very American, but still memorable (if front-heavy) in a car that weighed less than 3000 pounds….
Thanks to the exchange rates, new US cars were cheap in northwestern-Europe, back in the seventies. Initially, that is, as the depreciation was close to horrifying.
Our major importer, Hessing De Bilt, offered a full line of US cars in those days, the Mustang II included (see ad below).
Here’s a Mustang II Mach 1, also used to tow a boat now and then (the site is also the source of the ad): http://hessingdebilt.nl/?page_id=552
Regarding depreciation: it was bougth in 1978 for 30,000 guilders, sold low-mileage only 4 years later for 5,000 guilders.
It’s interesting to see they were third-party imports in the Netherlands rather than being sold through Ford Europe, Opel and Simca-Rootes channels. That varied from country to country – Paul’s posted GM Switzerland’s Chevrolet brochure before and Ford UK had a subsidiary called “Lincoln Motor Co. Ltd.” which imported not just L-M but Ford Division American cars.
Here’s a 1976 Mustang II ad from the UK.
The UK importer of American Fords at that time was called “Ford Personal Import Export Ltd.,” which sounds like a private importer, but I believe it was actually a Ford Motor Co. subsidiary.
I think UK Mustang II sales started as LHDs in 1974, and then a right-hand drive version was offered starting in ’75. Most were equipped with either the 5-liter V8 or a V6 (not sure which V6 that was).
Mustang II ads in Britain at that time carried a theme of “American Independence” — to coincide with the US bicentennial, but an odd theme for… the British market. I’m not sure how popular that was.
FPIE were part of Ford UK .Australian Farmont Estates and Mercury Monarch Ghia s were also offered. Around 79,80 Bristol Street Motors of Birmingham started to promote the imports.I had a A4 size brochure from them
I recall reading a British review of Mustang II Ghia equipped with the 5.0 liter and the automatic. The reviewer drove it through the British countryside and seemed to like it. Surprisingly (to me), he gave it a positive review noting its acceleration and comfort and ignoring its dismal gas mileage.
Maybe somebody just wanted one. Or it got pushed out of an airplane. 🙂
The Mustang II (boredom zero) wouldn’t be so ungainly if the wheel openings were taller, the track wider, and the wheels/tires larger. I wonder if anyone has tried doing that. It’s that front fender that ruins it. Those changes won’t help the high windows and low seat, driving in a bucket feeling inherited from the Pinto. Were Ford engines that tall?
At least one more notchback made it over the Pond as my brother had one in the mid/late ’80s. At least half of it was the same dark metallic brown under the new red paint. Some was metallic blue. The short wheelbase relative to length made it easy to park, but a bit cramped in the back!
It was quite distinctive though and a touch out of the ordinary in London.
Because they were Hungary for American excess? (sorry, I’ll show myself out.)
Good one —
Maybe Paul can Escort you out ?!
Mustang IIs appearing in unexpected places in Europe could be an interesting field for further study in the CC archives.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake/cc-cinema-outtake-ford-mustang-ii-photobomb/
What strikes me here is how fat the Mustang II styling was. Big and chunky. There is no lightness anywhere. Perhaps there was this idea that a small car needed to convey safety? Most US cars, especially Ford at that time, favored big bloated gassy looks.
Glad that ended. The German Fiesta was definitely not like that and we see a much better proportion of light and heft in the later 1970s, culminating with the Fairmont, Mustang and Escort.
The Mustang II looks more ok with less iconic Mustangs out there to compare it too, I’ve never been a fan of the design or execution of it but I can see it’s appeal to people outside the US where the owning that name alone was a selling point. The Capri was obviously the far better car(and if if the world then were like it was today, what the II should have been based on) but it’s not a Mustang, the Mustang II for all its misproportioned flabby faults returned all the little detail elements everybody loved and I can actually see this car having a lot more appeal there than the more European like Foxbodies.
Mustang2 is really rare over here Mustangs as cars are not now but since I returned to NZ Ive seen exactly one a dreary green tan vinyl top 302 burbling about.
An immaculate one used to appear at the Geelong Show every year, but I haven’t seen it for a while.
XR7Matt hit upon the critical point. Outside the USA these probably didn’t look disappointing like they did to Americans who had been marinated in Mustang essence for many years. To someone in Hungary who didn’t have daily exposure to 1965-1974 ‘Stangs, the II was much easier to accept as a Mustang.
My mother in law, god bless her, had a lovely yellow notchback with white vinyl top and white interior. It was fully loaded and the transmission hump was enormous. The driving position was indeed “sitting in a bucket” and peering over the dash to see where you were pointed. Poor visibility to the rear was complemented with large blind spots on both sides.
It had a V6 and automatic and was gutless.
She followed the Mustang with a Monte Carlo, then a Camaro and then I think that is when she bought the first of a string of Honda Accords. She is something of a “canary in the coalmine” regarding cars, in my estimation. Also a beautiful person. Hello Marian!
I have to agree that the Capri was the spiritual descendant of the original Mustang. Unfortunately Detroit in general and Ford in particular aren’t that nimble when it comes to putting quality affordable and fun to drive cars on the road and into the hands of the folks who might enjoy them. The insular attitude of the Detroit automakers got in the way through a combination of tunnel vision and pig headed denial and resistance to the changing world. Is that news to anyone? I thought not.
Could be my old ride. Was shipped to Germany in 78. Havnt seen it since. Brown leather. Stick. No auto for me.
I can see this being a nice ride in the ’70s. I can also see how this one was easy to let go from its country of origin, whenever that happened.
Brown – check.
Second-generation – check.
Landau top – check.
Stick – check.
I do like Mustang IIs, and this one in nice shape would be alright with me, but then again, I like a lot of ’70s things.
BTW – was the ’74 Ford Mustang II the first U.S. production car to feature amber turn signals out back?
I went and looked at one when I was in Japan. It was brown as the one in this article. Also it had an “exhaust temperature high” light on the dash. Power windows that were painfully slow, ant it was an automatic with the 302 V8. I did not get the opportunity to test drive it though. An interesting find in Japan.
The more I see them, the more I like the Mustang II. Not the ‘sporty’ hatchback or base coupe, but, more specifically, the Ghia (and exactly as pictured, as well).
It’s been said that Henry Ford II wanted the original Mustang to be a ‘mini-Thunderbird’ and he finally got it with the Mustang II Ghia. I can sure see Iacocca winning over HFII with that kind of a pitch for the Pinto-based Mustang II.
In that respect, I think it’s okay. Nice, floaty ride, brougham looks, and a quasi-luxury interior in a small PLC-style package. No wonder first year sales were stellar. I’d even be willing to bet that, if the brand-new, brougham-tastic Granada hadn’t been introduced the very next year, many of that car’s big sales numbers might have went to the Mustang II Ghia, instead.
Yuck. Mom sent me off to college in ‘89 with what she called a “classic mustang” which turned out to be a ‘74 that looked exactly like this one. Only difference was the gas filler was at the bottom of the fender making is impossible to fill it without spilling a quart or so. That damn thing was faster downhill in neutral than in drive, and got like 11 miles to the gallon. I drove it for a few months then sold it. I saw it dead on the side of the freeway 2 weeks later. Worst car ever.