1969 Ford Mustang Design

Work toward the '69 Mustang had begun in 1965 in the Ford Division studio, still captained by Gale Halderman. Joe Gilmore was now chief product planner, replacing Ross Humphries. From the very first studies in October 1965, designers seemed determined to blow up the car into a little Thunderbird, contemplating billowy contours, hidden headlamps, knife-edge fender lines, and other luxury-car cues.

By early 1966 they had been told to work in some "Thunderbird influence" -- which sounded like Iacocca talking. Regardless, the directive led to more large rectangular grilles, boxy rear ends, and some fairly desperate detailing. Judging from the photographic record, we might be grateful the designers changed course.

A March 1966 mockup anticipates the final '69 side treatment and general shape, but the front is a cautious evolution of 1967.

Indeed, they did a fast "180" toward an all-out muscle car. This reached fruition by October 1966 in a full-size clay fastback with a short wheelbase, a bulky cropped tail, a high rear "shoulder" leading back from a prominent scoop, a lengthy hood, gaping grille -- and a cramped cockpit. "We went through a period where we were chopping about six inches off the back," Halderman told Witzenburg. "But then we went to two inches and finally back to where we started, because we still had to package a spare tire, fuel tank, and some luggage room back there." Though a dead-end detour, this mockup prompted a less radical design that led to the '69 fastback, renamed "SportsRoof."

Ford again toyed with additional Mustang body styles during the '69 program. By mid-1966, designers had done full-size tape drawings of a "breadvan" wagon with near full-length side windows and a targa-top convertible with integral rollover bar (previewing the ragtop '68 Shelbys). The wagon had a tall "Kamm" tail like the short-chassis fastback, plus a long, tapering roofline and extreme rear-fender hop-up. The targa's lower body was curvy, almost GM-like. Though the targa was abandoned, the wagon design was refined into a full-size fiberglass mockup with slightly different treatments on each side.

This mockup from 1966 shows some of the design ideas rejected for 1969.

Photographed in November, it was an attractive, sporty thing with lots of side glass and elegant proportions. Rear fenders terminated in slim vertical taillamps arched gracefully upward from a thin U-section bumper. The front-end profile predicted production '71 styling. But with all that had gone before, a Mustang wagon remained a non-starter. "That one was pretty well liked," Halderman lamented. "I think we could have sold it."

Mustang Grows Up

Save last-minute details like taillights and trim, the '69 styling package was basically settled by early 1967. The result was a more impressive Mustang in both size and appearance. Though wheelbase stayed at 108 inches, overall length grew to 187.4 inches, up 3.8 inches, most of it in front overhang. Width swelled to 71.3 inches overall, while height came down slightly to 51.2. Base curb weight rose to just over 2800 pounds.

This mockup from mid-1966 shows Buick-style bodyside "sweepspears" that were ultimately rejected for the final design.

Dimensional gains were evident inside, too. Thinner doors improved front shoulder room by 2.5 inches, hip room by 1.5 inches. Modifying a frame crossmember upped rear legroom a whopping 2.5 inches. Trunk capacity increased "13 to 29 percent," according to bubbly Ford press releases, but that didn't amount to much because there'd been so little space before. And at a quoted 9.8 cubic feet, even this larger hold could still manage a two-suiter and little else. At least driving range was usefully increased via a fuel tank enlarged from 17 to 20 gallons.

Want to find out more about the Mustang legacy? Follow these links to learn all about the original pony car:

• Saddle up for the complete story of America's best-loved sporty car. How the Ford Mustang Works chronicles the legend from its inception in the early 1960s to today's all-new Mustang.
• In 1967, the original pony car was up for its first major revamp. Learn how Ford retooled and updated the 1967-1968 Ford Mustang to meet public expectations and to keep pace with the competition.
• With sales down and criticism abounding, the Mustang struggled in the early '70s. Learn what went wrong (and what went right) for the 1971-1973 Ford Mustang.
• The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 428 Cobra Jet was the muscle car Mustang fans had waited for. Gallop into its profile, photos, and specifications.

  1969 Mustang Styling and Models

  Though recognizably Mustang, the '69s somehow looked more "adult," more serious. Surprising many, the galloping horse and "corral" were gone from the grille, replaced by a small pony tri-color on the port side. The grille itself was visibly vee'd and made broader to cradle high-beam headlights at its outboard ends -- the first quad-lamp Mustang. Low beams nestled in the flanking "sugar scoops."
  

  Though recognizably Mustang, the '69s were markedly different in size and appearance.

  The hood was also vee'd and slightly domed between newly peaked front fender lines leading to a more exaggerated hop-up. Instead of the signature body side sculpturing, hardtops and convertibles wore a more subtle "character" line trailing back and slightly downward from the nose to end just behind the door, with a slim, reverse-facing dummy air vent below. SportsRoofs capped the sideline with a simulated scoop faired into the hop-up, an echo of the discarded shorty fastback. Taillights again grouped into two clusters of three vertical lenses, but the back panel reverted from concave to flat.
  
  Rooflines changed too, with more steeply raked windshields and, for hardtops and convertibles, wider "formal" rear-roof quarters. The SportsRoof sported a "faster" roof sloping down to a vestigial spoiler, plus first-time rear-quarter windows, which flipped out instead of rolling down. All models lost front vent windows, adopting a new forced-air ventilation system with hidden extractor outlets. A big, round Mustang medallion replaced roof louvers on fastbacks.
  

  Renamed "SportsRoof," the '69 fastback looked faster even in the standard trim shown here.

  The instrument panel was naturally redesigned, still a "twin cowl" affair, but the cowls were more prominent. Lower surfaces on either side of the console were angled forward, which at least gave the illusion of extra leg space. Gauges sat ahead of the driver in four large, round recesses; a fifth hole ahead of the front passenger was used to house the clock. A debatable new extra was the "Rim-Blow" steering wheel ($66). Instead of pushing the wheel hub to sound the horn, you simply squeezed anywhere on the rim. Though supposedly a "blow" for convenience, the device worked a bit too well. Fast wheel twirling was often a comically noisy affair.
  
  Knudsen's comment about "models for specific segments of the market" only parroted a previous Ford decision to expand the Mustang line. The model year opened with two additions. One was the Grande, a personal-luxury hardtop pitching the same buyers as cousin Mercury Cougar and the Pontiac Firebird. Priced about $230 above the $2635 standard issue, the Grande featured a vinyl-covered roof with identifying name script; pointy color-keyed "racing" door mirrors; wire wheel covers; two-tone paint stripes beneath the beltline; and bright wheelwell, rocker panel, and rear-deck moldings. The interior was upgraded with standard clock, convincing imitation teakwood accents on the dash and door panels, and seats with "hopsack" cloth inserts and vinyl bolsters. Appropriate for its upscale character, the Grande got a slightly softer suspension than the base hardtop and an extra 55 pounds of sound insulation.
  

  As ever, the '69 Mustangs could be optioned for a happy blend of performance and luxury. This ragtop is outfitted with the Deluxe Interior Decor Group.

  Besides a more expansive package, the '69 Mustangs offered the widest choice of models and powertrains yet, with some introduced after the late-August 1968 showroom debut. The stalwart 200- and 250-cubic-inch sixes returned with 115 and 155 horsepower, respectively. The base 302 V-8 option remained at 220 horsepower, but the big-block 390 was back to 320, down five from '68. In between these was a pair of important new 351 small-blocks, more of which shortly. Again topping the list was the muscular Cobra Jet 428, available with and without ram-air induction but conservatively rated either way at 335 horsepower. Transmissions were the usual three- and four-speed manuals and Cruise-O-Matic, but Ford actually used two different four-speeds and three different automatics depending on engine.
  
  Want to find out more about the Mustang legacy? Follow these links to learn all about the original pony car:
  

  • Saddle up for the complete story of America's best-loved sporty car. How the Ford Mustang Works chronicles the legend from its inception in the early 1960s to today's all-new Mustang.
  • In 1967, the original pony car was up for its first major revamp. Learn how Ford retooled and updated the 1967-1968 Ford Mustang to meet public expectations and to keep pace with the competition.
  • With sales down and criticism abounding, the Mustang struggled in the early '70s. Learn what went wrong (and what went right) for the 1971-1973 Ford Mustang.
  • The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 428 Cobra Jet was the muscle car Mustang fans had waited for. Gallop into its profile, photos, and specifications