A 1971 Mustang was my first Mustang and frankly the gateway to my lifelong obsession with the car. It’s certainly a bigger car, but it surprises most people with just an inch more wheelbase than the 1970 Mustang. Gone are the Shelby and the 428 engine, but for a year past the 351 and 429 Boss , meaner and faster, they dominated the pavement. In 1971, the Mustang still had the Sportsroof, Coupe, Convertible, Mach 1, Grande, and Boss versions.
The 1971 and 1972 Mustangs are really the hardest for the average person to distinguish, for the first time the front grill didn’t change. The only way to tell the difference on the standard models at a glance is the lettering on the rear boot lid. In 1971, the word Mustang is spelled in capital letters on the trunk lid and 1972 models have a Mustang lettering above the right taillight. For the Sprotsroof models that had the black tape on the trunk, the word Mustang was written in capital letters. An interesting change from the 1970 Mustang to the 1971 Mustang is the hood. For the first time, the hood extends to the windshield, making it the longest hood on a Mustang.
For the first time, the Mach 1 sports interior was available as a separate option from performance upgrades. So you could get a regular 1971 Mustang Sportsroof with a Mach 1 interior. A well thought out upgrade for 1971 was the ram air system. While the Mustang’s vibrating hoods were gone, the optional ram air systems were effective and let’s face it.
The standard engine for 1971 was still the 6-cylinder, however the displacement was now 250ci and it was available with a 3-speed or Crusie-O-Matic automatic transmission. The large body style continued until 1973. I have discovered from talking to people that you love or hate “big” cars. I have to fall on the side of love.