This 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is being sold on eBay as a running and driving project car. It’s in matching-numbers original condition throughout but it’s clear it needs plenty of work to get it back to daily driver status.
1969 was the first model year of Mach 1 production and the Mustang variant was an instant hit, with 72,458 sold despite the fact that Ford also offered the Mustang GT, Boss 302, Boss 429, Shelby GT350, and the Shelby GT500 Mustang variants.
Fast Facts – The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1
- The Mach 1 was developed as a high-performance variant of the Mustang, designed to bridge the gap between the standard Mustangs and the higher-end Shelby models. The first Mach 1 debuted in 1968 as a 1969 model year car, and it would prove immediately successful with 72,458 units sold.
- The first series of Mach 1 Mustangs would be produced from 1968 to 1975 on the standard Mustang, with a range of both performance and visual upgrades to differentiate the car.
- When it was introduced the Mach 1 was fitted with the 351 cubic inch (5.8 liter) Windsor V8 engine which was mated to a 3-speed manual transmission. Additional engine upgrades were available, and buyers could opt for a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic.
- The Mach 1 also came with suspension upgrades, a non-functional hood scoop, a black hood, hood pins, side decals, a chrome pop-open gas cap, revised wheels with Goodyear Polyglas tires, a deluxe interior, and (dealer optional) a chin spoiler, rear deck spoiler, and rear window louvers.
When The “GT” Is No Longer Enough
The Mach 1 first appeared in 1968 as a 1969 model year car, the name was directly inspired by the jet age, the space race, and the supersonic fighter jets coming out of the United States, Europe, and the Soviet Union as the Cold War surged.
Ford quickly realized after the release of the Mach 1 that they had a hit on their hands. It would make up almost a quarter of all Mustang production for 1969, outselling the GT model by more than 10:1. Image courtesy of the Ford Motor Co.
For the uninitiated, mach 1 (pronounced mark one) is the speed of sound. The vast majority of aircraft fly below this speed, any aircraft that can surpass it has its speed measured at mach – Mach 1, Mach 2 etc.
By the late 1960s the Ford Mustang had been completely revised over its first incarnation, it was now larger and perhaps more importantly, it had a more spacious engine bay that could comfortably accommodate Ford’s big block V8s.
In 1968 Ford began to offer the 428 cubic inch (7.0 liter) Cobra Jet FE big block V8 as an option in some Mustang GTs, it also came as standard in the 1968 Shelby GT500KR. Some at Ford felt that the simple “GT” designation was insufficient for such a hefty engine, it did produce a hefty 345 bhp and 462 lb ft of torque after all.
Ford needed a new model name for a series of higher-performance Mustangs that would fit into the model range well above the standard Mustang, but below the Shelbys and the Boss 302/Boss 429 variants. It’s lost to history who came up with the name “Mach 1,” but it was a masterstroke, and it would become one of the most important Mustangs of the late 1960s.
The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1
When the new Ford Mustang Mach 1 first hit showroom floors in late 1968 as a 1969 model it proved popular. So popular in fact that it took Ford a little by surprise. The Mach 1 offered a combination of both performance and visual improvements that set it well apart from the “regular” Mustang, and buyers couldn’t get enough of it.
The Mach 1 came as standard with the 351 cubic inch (5.8 liter) Windsor V8 engine, good for 250 bhp and 291 lb ft of torque. If the new owner didn’t opt for a transmission upgrade it came with a 3-speed manual, but for those who didn’t mind spending a little more there was a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic on offer.
This car is running and drivable, but it needs a full restoration including rust repair throughout the body and undercarriage.
Many Mach 1 owners opted to stick with the Windsor 351 in either two or four barrel carburetor form. All Mach 1s had competition suspension installed but there were significant differenced between the small block and big block cars, due to the increased weight over the front wheels caused by the larger V8s.
Those who needed more power could choose from the a 390 cubic inch (6.4 liter) FE V8, the 428 cubic inch (7.0 liter) Cobra Jet 4V with or without Ram Air, and finally there was a “Drag Pack” option which came with a modified 428 cubic inch (7.0 liter) Super Cobra Jet V8 – these latter cars are typically the most sought after by collectors today.
Visually the Mach 1 came with a blacked out hood with hood pins, a non-functional hood scoop, side decals, a chrome pop-open gas cap, a deluxe interior, and (these were dealer optional) a chin spoiler, rear deck spoiler, and rear window louvers.
Ford would sell 72,458 Mach 1s in the first year alone, almost a quarter of all Mustang production. The Mustang GT only shifted 5,958 units and was cancelled by the end of the year.
Versions of the Mach 1 remained in production well into the 1970s, it was then brought back on the second, fourth, and sixth generation Mustangs as a special option package.
The 1969 Mach 1 Mustang Project Car Shown Here
The car you see here is a first-year 1969 Mach 1 that retains its matching-numbers engine. It’s now being sold by its third owner who has had it since 2008 as he has realized that due to health concerns he’s now going to be able to fulfill his dream of restoring it.
Fortunately the car remains in matching-numbers condition, which will be a point of significant interest for anyone looking for a project car of this kind.
Importantly the car is listed as being in running and driving condition – something that’ll be reassuring to many prospective buyers. The eBay listing goes into quite a bit of detail about what the car is going to require, including plenty of rust remediation and welding work, though this is par for the course on any restoration of this sort.
If you’d like to read more about this Mach 1 or place a bid you can visit the listing on eBay here. It’s being sold out of Sharon, Wisconsin by a seller with 100% positive feedback.
Images courtesy of eBay Motors + Nomad Flyer
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