Motor Trend turns 50 this year, and to celebrate our golden anniversary, we're creating a special eight-page bonus section commemorating a half-century as the world's automotive authority. Each month this mini-magazine will contain a potpourri of historical facts and photos-including our first-ever road tests on a number of landmark vehicles, a month-by-month perspective of key industry happenings, a special scrapbook section of great photos from our archives, and a reprise of some classic car ads. Fancy yourself a master of Motor Trend minutiae? Well, do you recall the 0-60-mph time of the first V-8 Mus-tang we tested back in '64? Or the horsepower rating of the 392-cid Hemi used in the '57 Chrysler 300-C? Or the proper name of Cadillac's ill-fated modulated-displacement engine that debuted in '81? Just read on-and enjoy some blasts from our past five decades. -by the editors of Motor Trend
Remembering Motor Trend's First:'6411/42 Mustang Road TestFord's Top-Performance Mustang Has Quarter- Horse Agility, Race-Horse Stamina, Show-Horse StyleExcerpts from our original Mustang test-Aug. '64.
We headed for Riverside International Raceway to see how wild the Mustang really was. We gave the Mustang its head and clocked 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. The car ran through our measured quarter mile in a quick 15.7 seconds, showing 89 mph on our fifth-wheel electric speedometer.
But performance in a straight line was only one of our Mustang's good features-its adhesion, thanks mainly to the Firestone Super Sport tires, was amazing. Added to its good straight-line performance and excellent road manners was the Mustang's instant throttle response. Here's one car we could actually steer with our right foot. Barreling over winding mountain roads was great fun with the car's good road manners, precise steering, and instant throttle response. As an example of the engine's tremendously wide torque range, we drove from sea level to the top of Mt. Wilson (5710 feet) over twisting mountain roads, sometimes slowing to 15 mph for tight curves. We never shifted out of fourth gear.
Every car has its bad points, and the Mustang's no exception. The front passenger's seat had no fore-aft adjustment, and the car's drum brakes just weren't in keeping with the nature of the beast. When Ford finally offers disc brakes and independent rear suspension, it should be a thoroughbred charger. Otherwise, it's great.
Few test cars have given us more sheer pleasure per mile than our bright poppy-red Mustang. And for the selling price of $3361.45, in Los Angeles, it gives a high performance-per-dollar value. Just listening to that engine is enough to send an enthusiast into a glassy-eyed trance.-Bob McVay, Assistant Technical Editor
| FORD MUSTANG |
| Basic price | $2480 |
| Engine | 289-cid V-8 |
| Horsepower @ rpm (gross) | 271 @ 6000 |
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm (gross) | 312 @ 3400 |
| Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec | 7.5 |
| Quarter mile, sec/mph | 15.7/89.0 |
| Braking, 60-0 mph, ft | 172 |
This Month In Motor Trend History:JanuaryAutomotive History And Trivia Of The Past 50 Years1988Porsche vs. Porsche: It was a coast-to-coast romp, as Editor Jack Nerad and staffer Ron Grable pitted a 911 Turbo against a Porsche-powered Cessna in a 1917-mile challenge stretching from the Mexican border to Vancouver, B.C. The Cessna won the race, but the police-evading Turbo driver had a more exciting trip.