1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Is An Unmatched Legend: Rolling Thunder

Ford Thought “GT” Was Too Lame

Well, not the car, but the moniker. In the late '60s, the horsepower wars between GM, Ford, and Dodge were starting to heat up with engine sizes getting progressively larger by the minute. In ‘68 Ford launched the ultimate Shelby GT500KR with a thunderous 428 cu in (7.0 L)

Cobra Jet. Such a special engine should have a special name since the “GT” moniker was getting as common as table salt. Hence the now iconic “Mach1” tag was introduced that outsold its “GT” siblings by quite a margin and has graced some of the most sought-after Mustangs today.

1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Was All Business

Source- Ford Media

In all its wisdom Ford decided to “Europify” the Mustang in 1971 by making it bigger and better although for most, the way it looked was love it or hate it kind of affair. 

In the brochure, it was marketed as a “Personal sports car” and came with a new front fascia, roof, and a very flat rear glass with decklid almost disappearing. Ford even dropped some aerodynamic touches on the car like flush door handles, and hidden wipers that made it way more aero-friendly than its predecessor. 

The '71 Mach 1 came with exclusive features like Argent ( silver) or black bumpers, underbody, waistline stripes, and a spoiler.

The rear and front light surrounds featured a distinctive honeycomb pattern with “Mach 1 Mustang” decals on the fender and “Mach1” decals on the trunk lid. The 1971 Mustang Mach 1 could be easily identified miles away with its unique scoops on either side of the hood painted black and came with a couple of hood pins left and right. 

The “NASA” scoops were a gimmick on all trims except when optioned with the “Ram Air” package, which made them functional. Some of the sought-after colors for Mach 1 include Pewter (light silver almost off-white), Grabber Green, and Grabber Yellow.

Source- Ford Brochure

The standard interior includes easy-to-clean vinyl upholstery and a mini console with flat folding seats as an option. The latter could be upgraded with a center console with a clock and stowage. The carpet was color-keyed nylon.

Ford even threw steel guard rails, uni-lock harnesses, and lockable steering columns, which was a big thing back then. A more appealing “Mach1 Sport Interior Option” was also introduced that had accented bucket seats, an electric clock, performance gauges with some wood, and bright work on steering and doors.

429 Cobra Jet Sounds Thunder and Goes Like Lightning

Source- Ford Brochure

1971 Mustang Mach 1 much like all the cars from that era came with a laundry list of engines as follows

Source- Ford

 The 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 was only available with a “Sportsroof” body style and came with performance suspension, bias ply E70-14, or wider F70 tires with a Hurst Shifter as an option.

For the cars equipped with 429 motor a “Drag Pack“ was also available that included a high lift cam, modified crankshaft flywheel, vibration dampener, Holley Carb, 3.91:1 “Traction Lok” Differential or 4.11:1 “Detroit No Spin”. Not to mention that the “429 RAMJET” script on the hood made you look like an instant Badass everywhere you go.

Still Cheaper Than Dark Horse Tho

Surprisingly affordable for the most part. In 1971 only 36,499 Mach 1 were made. Those equipped with 429 CJ are rare and the ones with CJ-R (with NASA Scoops) are pretty much in unicorn territory. Options like “Drag Pack” and “Sports Interior” drive the price even further.

As per Hagerty, in good condition, a used Mach 1 will set you back by $36,000. Which is still more affordable than the fully loaded 2024 Dark Horse which costs $50,000. Similarly, CJ models can cross 75K-100K depending on the condition.

Similarly, Classic .com reports an average selling price of $52000 and changes with top sales at $250,000.

Do note that on occasion Boss models equipped with smaller 351 Cleveland Ram Air V8s were quicker to 60 mph than Cobra Jet models due to lower torque but greater traction off the line. Motortrend logged a 13.6-second quarter mile for ‘71 Boss vs 14.7 seconds for Mach 1 with 429 Cobre Jet.

Any Notable Problems With the ‘71 Mustang Mach 1?

Forums have reportedly pointed out rust issues with the '71 Mach1

After rummaging through Mustang-only forums like Vintage Mustang and 7173 Mustang the most notable problem with old Mustags was rust. Especially on thrones with the more affordable side of the spectrum.

A user Maxum96 confirmed my doubts by mentioning that lack of spare parts and corrosion were the biggest weaknesses of Mach1. Another user pointed out that the original fuel tank could get rusted from the inside clogging fuel lines and carbs.