New Mustang vs. Old Mustang

1970 Ford Mustang Boss

I have wondered how cars have changed in the last 40 years. People talk about old cars prior to environmental controls like it was some kind of golden age. The 1970 Mustang Boss might not be as classic as the 1965 Mustang, but as you can see it looks pretty good.

I am not sure I like the overbite the hood has over the bumper. The tires on these older cars always look too big to my eye. Also the windshield sticks up more abruptly than modern cars making it boxy looking--back in the day it would not have seemed that way.

I would have expected the new 2011 Mustang to be lighter because of lighter weight sheet metal and plastic parts, but not really. The 2011 car is faster, gets twice the gas mileage, and has a smaller, more powerful engine.

The 2011 Mustang beats the 1970 classic in everything.
Consumer Reports Oct 2010 issue page 58

One thing that was better about the 1970 Mustang was the price; it started at $5000, and the new model has a base price of $30495.

The new Mustang still looks good; much more aerodynamic -- perhaps too much like an economy car though. They kept the detail on the door, and the razorback rear end.