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Classic Transmission to Automatic Overdrive?

• California Pony Cars are the one stop shop to make your classic 1967-73 transmission to Automatic Overdrive. Their 7-part kit makes it easy to concert your 289/302/351W engine from a C4 or C6 transmission to an A.O.D. automatic overdrive transmission. Not only are you ensured the BEST quality in the industry, but this product is also proudly manufactured in the U.S.A.

Ford Mustang Facts You'll Love

It wasn't originally supposed to be called The Mustang

• Henry Ford II wanted the name of the Mustang to be "Thunderbird II". Earlier iterations of the prototypes were named Cougars and actually had the logo of a cat on their grilles instead of a horse. That's probably a change for the better, since "Ford Cougar" would have most likely not hit their target younger audience. So how DID the Mustang get its name? That is shrouded in mystery.

• Rumor has it that a Ford employee, who happened to be a horse breeder, was on the team developing names and added Mustang to the list of possibilities while Ford was focus-group testing. Another rumor suggests that John Najjar, who was an executive at Ford and co-designed the first prototype, was fascinated with the World War II P-51 Mustang and christened it that name as a result. Whatever the reason, we're sure glad it turned out the way that it did.

The first Mustang was accidentally sold to a Canadian Airline Pilot

• Mustang Serial Number #001 was sold to a savvy Canadian Airline Pilot by the name of Stanley Tucker. He somehow convinced a salesman at the St. John, Newfoundland dealership to sell him the car before they were supposed to. He then (rightly so) drove it for 10,000 miles before trading it back to Ford, and can now be seen at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn on display. Talk about negotiation skills; he should probably be the author of "The Art of the Deal".

The 1965 Mustang Station Wagon

• In one of the few head-scratching ideas from the Ford Mustang development, there was actually a concept floating around for a Mustang Station Wagon. No, really. Take a look for yourself. So who was responsible for...this? You can thank Barney Clark of the Ad Agency J. Walter Thompson, along with a designer and another car enthusiast. The 3 of them sent their 1965 Mustang to Intermeccanica, an Italian car manufacturer, to help them bring their vision to reality, but fortunately, this was never the case. It was even rumored that Ford wanted to produce a Mustang wagon, but that was never confirmed. We think we're not alone in breathing a collective sigh of relief that this was never made.

The Mustang with 87 Horsepower

• During the oil crisis of 1973, Ford had to be creative. Fuel prices were skyrocketing. Consumers complained that the car had gotten too large and used too much gas. As a result, Ford had to downsize the engine options and had to do it fast. The Mustang II was the result, where it only had 87 horsepower. This definitely wasn't the Mustang's best year and thankfully the V8 came back in 1975. The Mustang II sold well, but this was a definitely bump in the road for them.

What is a Pony Car?

• When you first hear of a pony car, your immediate thought is either the animal of something cartoonish. Yet, the pony car is far from what it sounds like. The ‘pony car’ name came about when Ford unveiled a smaller car during a time when the muscle car reigned supreme. When Ford first launched the Mustang, it didn’t meet the design aesthetics necessary to be called a muscle car. And this was what heralded the term ‘pony car’.

• While there might have been cars that technically met the design threshold to be called pony cars, Ford was the first to coin the term Pony Car. Other variants would soon follow. Chevy’s Camaro, Pontiac’s Firebird, and the Barracuda are great examples? So what do all these cars have in common? For starters, they were American-built. They became favorites, earning a place with certain demographics.

Characteristics of The Pony Car

Smaller body

• Pony cars had a more compact body compared to a conventional muscle car. This allowed the pony car to have a sportier look and have more streamlined features. The compact body saw pony cars get hailed for being absolute speedsters on the road. It also made them a crowd favorite with a younger demographic.

A long hood and an open mouth front

• From the time they were launched in the 60s to the time they started fading out due to various factors, pony cars all shared a similar design. They had a long hood and an open mouth with small grills. This gave the cars a sleek look. Since it was targeted at a younger crowd, the long hood capped off that luxury exterior. At the time, the muscle car had a shorter hood and a more pronounced front grille, making the 2 categories different.

Smaller engines

• Although they had a sporty look, a defining characteristic of pony cars was a smaller engine compared to muscle cars. Most pony cars had a smaller V8 engine while muscle cars had bigger V8 engines. Some pony cars even had V6 engines. This was one of the major differences between the 2 categories. Higher performance pony cars had powerful V8 engines but they were still smaller than what was under the hoods of muscle cars.

The target market

• From the moment they were unveiled, pony cars were marketed towards a younger crowd. The advertising around it was geared to appeal to the young potential car owners who loved the open road and wanted the freedom of an open roof, a powerful engine and a smaller car. The car was perfect, with its 4-seater capacity.

Interoperability in parts

• Since these cars came in en masse at a certain time, it made sense for car manufacturers to make car parts that could be used in most of them. Aftermarket parts could be used in various models without the cars losing out on performance or aesthetic appeal.

The fade-out

• Pony car production started fading out when the car industry got hit by a multitude of economic factors. European models were getting into the market. Gas prices were going up and pony cars couldn’t match the fuel economy of these new luxury models that were coming in. Still, the big players chose to adapt. Fuel-injection engines helped pony cars adapt. They upped the power and improved fuel economy, The hood became shorter, with more focus on interior comfort. They optimized engines to align with market demands.

• Pony cars remained popular among hardcore fans. Even with entrants such as Toyota with the Celica and Open’s Manta, American manufacturers were able to meet the demands of the market. Production went down due to the introduction of SUVs and trucks. Resurgence and the future of pony cars

• The early 2000s saw the redesign of the pony car. It was a more aggressive-looking take, blurring the line between muscle cars and pony cars. Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro is some of the popular pony cars that you can get now. The Mustang even added a right-hand drive for the global market to cement the pony car’s status as a here-to-stay car.The new decade looks as exciting as ever for the pony car. The Dodge Challenger is set for a 2023 unveiling.