1970 came and Ford remained the leader in the horse carriage revolution. With Camaro comfortably in the rearview mirror, little was done to change the 1970 Mustang. It was a very successful year on the race track for Mustang winning the Trans Am series with the likes of Parnelli Jones at the wheel of the Boss 302 Mustang. It is interesting to note that 1970 also brought the last year of production of the “classic” Shelby Mustang and even those were 1969 Mustangs with minor changes of 69 and updated VIN numbers.
At a glance, the easiest way to distinguish between a 1969 Mustang and a 1970 Mustang is the ever-changing grille. The 1969 4-headlight system has now been replaced by individual headlights on the outside and flanked by simulated air intakes. The protruding 3-lens taillights were replaced by a similar 3-lens setup, but were now inserted into the tail panel. The simulated air intakes behind the doors also disappeared.
Fortunately, there was still a wide variety of powertrains left in the 1970 Mustang. Surprisingly, the 6-cylinder engine was still the standard offering up to 155 horsepower. For those not that faint of heart, the 429 Boss engine was also available with a 375 horsepower output that most Mustang enthusiasts will agree was well below rated to satisfy government regulations on that one. moment. An interesting note about the Boss 429 is that the automatic transmission was not available on the standard boss bust, it was available on the Boss 429 with the Drag pack option.
In 1970 more than ever until then, Mustang reached out to the luxury crowd with the Grande. It offers 55 pounds of special insulation for a quieter ride and special high-back bucket seats with dog-tooth-shaped fabric inserts.
Was this the last year for the true classic Mustang pony car? Most will agree yes, but don’t short-sell the amazing models to come.