The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 was Ford Motor Company’s response to GM’s Chevrolet Camaro as the Pony Car war reached its peak. It was the meanest looking Mustang up to that point, humiliated the GT in sales to the point the latter got discontinued and could be optioned with the COPO-rivaling 7.0-liter Cobra Jet engine.
Although the original wheelbase was the same, the car grew wider with longer overhangs while lowering the roofline in a bid to make the car that much more aggressive. The nose became sharper and quad headlights were the norm, with the ones on the outside of the grille sitting deep within rectangular cavities for a meaner look.
The Mach 1 also gave its prospective owners a wide variety of choices in terms of not only engines, but also axles, transmissions, exterior trims and add-ons, interior and exterior colors. It was heaven for those who like to fiddle with forms in the dealership stuffing their cars with extras.
The offering was the same for 1970 with the Mach 1 only available as a SportsRoof although, by then, the car had gone through yet another visual refreshment procedure. This means that the 72,458 units built of the 1969 model year are the only ones with the quad headlight, low-slung allure.