Imagination Takes Classic Mustang and Gives It European Influence
The Martini Mustang Is Loud & Fast Art
cc Tesla 😉
Posted by Petrolicious on Monday, December 11, 2017
Ever wonder what would happen if the Mustang Fastback had a little more influence from European racing?
When it comes to early development of the Mustang, one door that wasn’t really fully opened was an attack on European tarmac rally racing. Despite companies like Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Mini, and Porsche forging a stronghold, Ford understandably had its racing focus on an overall win at Le Mans.
Steve Strope envisioned a completely different path for the Mustang, however, and it is absolutely beautiful.
Martini racing forged a number of partnerships in motorsport in that era, so it naturally works very well for a period correct style of racing livery. Also period correct for this Mustang is the ultimate under-hood showcase: a Lotus-Ford Indy Car V8.
Strope points out that at some point the plausibility of using that motor in a Mustang was explored at some point by Ford in the past, but never pursued.
Spurred on by imagination to create something truly special, Steve continued to build the car with exquisite attention to detail. Created to be as artistic as well, you can simply pour over this car and find new things to appreciate and admire in every area.
Large changes aren’t immediately evident, as there’s nothing visually “loud” about the car. Seams and gaps seem to have a better flow, with a flush look and continuity that just wasn’t found in the production Mustang.
While the influence of racing overseas wasn’t terribly strong, we still had the GT350 for sports car racing. It is still interesting to think about what would have been behind that other door.
