Mustang Does It! An Illustrated History (The Ford Road Series, Vol. 6) (Ford Rd Series; 6) (Hardcover)

by Ray Miller (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In 1964, one automobile Manufacturer broke through the ho-hum barriers of conservative design and produced an entirely new model intended to satisfy the interests of several segments of the Market. The car, with its lengthened and extended hood, foreshortened rear deck, sculptured body panels and sporty bucket seats succeeded in providing a family-size sedan for the supermarket crowd, a "youthful abandon" appearance for those whose memories dealt with the earlier two-passenger Thunderbird, abundant power and control options for the soon-to-be-called "macho" segment, and a platform on which the speed-oriented could bolt readily available added power and handling accessories with which to convert it to an all-out sports car racing machine.

  That manufacturer was the Ford Motor Company and the car was MUSTANG! That Ford's project was right on target is attested to by the fact that the car found over 100,000 buyers in its first four months, a half million more in the next twelve, and it reached a total of well-over one million cars in fewer than twenty-four months! Mustang's initial sales set an unequalled record that has yet to be eclipsed.

     Its very success resulted in the production of similar cars (its name even provided their description, "pony cars"} by other manufacturers, and the competitive race was on. the result was to be a departure from the original concepts and by 1973 Mustang had grown some 12 inches in length and almost 20% in weight`. No longer "the car that was designed by you", it yet remained the choice of loyalists but offered those who preferred something "different" little reason to justify its selection. Thus, Ford Motor Company, in an unusual reaction achieved another notable success when it introduced the more compact 1974 model marking the very first time the industry had down-sized a successful line of its cars.

  The factors that made the original Mustang the outstanding popular choice that it became in the 1960's remain effective today. Less than a dozen years later they inspired Collectors to seek out the more desirable models. The price of early Convertibles and slant-backs rose sharply until today when virtually all of the early Mustangs have joined the ranks of those outstanding Collectible automobiles of earlier years.

and still ....MUSTANG Does It!

From the Publisher
Still the best reference book for those interested in the Ford Mustangs. Covers models from 1964 1/2 to 1979 and displays typical accessories. No Mustang library is complete without it.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Evergreen Press (CA) (June 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 091305609X
• ISBN-13: 978-0913056097
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #338,793 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 'must have', March 10, 2000

By A Customer

Very informative. Gives detailed year-by-year descriptions of 1964 1/2 to 1973 model years, including specialty cars such as the GT, T-5, Shelby, Boss, etc. Gives each model year specifications such as engine size (including bore and stroke,compression ratio, horse power, fuel requirements), vehicle dimensions (including length, width and height for all three body styles) exterior color codes, vehicle weight for all three body styles, and much more. Very heavily illustrated with both B/W and color photos. An incredible resource for anyone interested in early Mustangs.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Authority, December 10, 2001

By	"rkoala" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I was happy to see "Mustand Does It" by Ray Miller back in print. I was fortunate to have gotten a copy 20 years ago, and it is STILL the most comprehensive Mustang book that I have seen. There is not much more to say other than it is the best source for settling arguements such as "It is too a real 64 1/2!". There are many detail photos of the unique features of each year's production models. No details are overlooked.

Get this one while you can! If you love Mustangs, you gotta have it!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mustang Does It, but Mr. Miller misses the mark..., January 11, 2003

By	Allen Cross (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

Thumbnail version: 'Mustang Does It' is an OK choice if you want a book with large pages and lots of pretty pictures. Unfortunately, the original photos & text are seriously flawed in terms of their informational value. And even if you're merely looking for Mustang-themed entertainment, there are much better books available at lower cost.

I know, I know...this 1978 title was one of the first to celebrate the historic success of Ford's original 'pony car'. Who thought anyone would publish a 320pg. 'coffee table' book about cars that were then not even 15 years old? On this basis alone, anything less than breathless and enthusiastic praise must seem almost sacriligious to some folks.

So, I'm sorry to say that its not a very good book in general, much less in comparison to other Mustang titles. Yes, they crammed in something like 1300 photos. But the cars are from California, circa 1976, and have typical mods of that period: mag wheels, 'trick' paint-jobs and even sidepipes are everywhere. Many of them aren't even *clean*, for pity's sake.

This wouldn't be so bad had the author pointed out these flaws or downplayed them in his text. But most cars are presented with few comments to indicate they are anything but pristine examples. I've concluded it was merely a case of not knowing the facts; similar problems occur throughout, with even the color charts having several errors & omissions.

I suppose some of you might think me unfair. After all, its been 25 years and the art of Mustang restoration hasn't been standing pat. I've been involved with Mustang for most of that time, myself, learning all the while as I went from amateur dabbler to professional vendor & consultant. Have I learned so much that I now view the 1970s with a jaundiced eye?

Well, sure - haven't most of us? But 'Mustang Does It' is very much a product of its time. Or maybe 'frozen in time' is a better phrase. This re-issue of the original edition desperately wants some editing to make it more relevant for today's buyers. As-is, it is a time-capsule of flawed research...like an heirloom gem that turns out to be glass.