We Guarantee You Didn’t Know These Mustang Models Existed
Low volume models, concept cars, and one-off designs show us some Mustang models that could have been, but weren’t.
We’re all pretty familiar with Mustang models, right? There’s the EcoBoost, GT, Mach-E, Boss, Bullitt, Shelby variants and more. Dive back in history and you’ll find even more. We are quite familiar with these cars here at The Mustang Source, so when we found this report of lesser-known models from Auto Evolution, we were quite surprised.
Now, some of them are auto show concepts, and stillborn ideas, but there’s some that were a little bit new to us. Namely, the Mustang E as shown below. This was an economy minded vehicle built for the Mobil Economy Run and powered by a 4.1-liter inline-six. That event showcased real-world mileage compared to the mileage rating from manufacturers that typically reflected perfect conditions for mileage.
But the timing was wrong–by about three years. Since the Mustang E debuted in 1969, the oil crisis wasn’t even on anyone’s radar. With cheap fuel the difference of only a few MPG didn’t matter much. Less than 100 were built.
More Concepts
Pre-dating the Mustang was the Aventura. This unique coupe was designed to be placed on the Falcon chassis as Ford decided which direction the Mustang would go. Styling cues on this car are a strong hint at where Ford would end up. This sleek coupe contains a lot of European flair, but had an unusual feature, too. If you look at the black and white styling sketch, you can see rearward facing seats.
While the Mach-E is now officially a four door (ok, five door with the hatch), it wasn’t the first time that Ford considered the idea. As the Mustang entered production, Ford designer Dave Ash created this clay model you see above. Most of the styling cues are pulled from the existing Mustang. But it was never meant to be. Instead, the styling would be the basis of the 1966 Falcon sedan. It makes us wonder. Did Ford ever consider naming the Mach-E after the bird? We’ll likely never know.
There’s even more concept Mustangs in the list from Auto Evolution, including the RSX seen at the top of this list and directly above. It was going to be a Rally Racer, but the class it would race in was disbanded. Last but not least, the Allegro II, a competitor to Corvette’s Grand sport.
Photos: AutoEvolution
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