There
are dozens of cars that make it to the concept stage, but never see
production. Sometimes what seems like a good idea on the drawing board,
and on a spinning stage at an auto show, isn’t the right car to bring to
market. The car gets axed and fades into automotive history. This was
the fate of the mid-engine 1967 Ford Mustang Mach 2 Concept.
The
car debuted at the 1967 Chicago Auto Show with a lot of Mustang bits
like the front suspension, brakes, and 289 cu. in. V8 engine, but that
engine was relocated behind the driver. Ford design chief Gene Bordinat and the Special Vehicles Group decided this rearrangement was a good idea.
It
was thought that this might be a good layout for a successor to the
Shelby Cobra. The Mach 2 Concept kept the long hood and proportions of
the Mustang despite the engine relocation. It wasn’t a completely
far-fetched idea with General Motors trying a mid-engine Corvette at the
same time. One might even call this trendy.
Trendy
or not, the Mustang Mach 2 Concept never made it into production. It
toured the auto show circuit, but was shelved and never heard from
again. That was nearly 50 years ago, but who knows, maybe Ford will have
a change of heart and a mid-engine Mustang will make it past the auto
show floor one day.
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