First Car...

I went to a car show over the weekend (big surprise...).  While I was there, I was talking to the owner of a nicely restored Mustang II and I mentioned that my first car was a Mustang II.  He said that he was surprised how many people have told him the exact same thing. That got me thinking about yesteryear...

If you're not familiar with the Mustang II, or if you haven't seen one before, you're not alone.  The reinvention of the Mustang came about because of the gas crisis of the early '70's. In 1974, the Mustang II hit the streets as a compact, fuel-efficient (for their time) car that evoked memories of the Pinto much more than memories of previous Mustangs. Mine sported the 90-horsepower, 2.3 liter 4-cylinder paired to an automatic, capable (in theory) of 0-60 times...

I don't want to bash the Mustang II.  In fact, I loved mine in spite of it's anemic performance.  It was my first car, and who doesn't have all sorts of fun memories attached to their first car?  Cruising with your friends, going to the beach, buying beer at the drive-thru, the list goes on.  In NY where I grew up you could get a junior license at 16, so I used to drive my Mustang to Driver's Ed in high school to get my regular license.

The Mustang turned 52 years old yesterday.  Happy birthday, Mustang!  I hope I look as good as you if I make to 52 years old...