23rd Sep 2009, 10:56

8 first generation Mustangs at a show and you are sold that 6 cylinder cars are on the rise?

Remember, when the first generation came out they were mostly 6 cylinder cars. That was pretty short lived though once they started building the performance models like the Shelby cars and eventually the Mach 1's and Boss cars. This took a couple of years, as they didn't even know how popular this new car of the day was going to be. So, yes you will see more 6 cylinder first generation cars. This is not an accurate view of the popularity of the whole line from then until now however, and it certainly doesn't mean people are now more interested in 6 cylinder cars.

Most of the high performance cars are just plain out of reach to most of us. Boss 429's routinely sell for upwards of $250K for a low mileage mint original example, and a Shelby car is pretty much a six figure investment as well if it is mint. Even a Boss 302 and a Mach 1 are in the $40K to $100K range. So what are the local show guys going to restore? 6 cylinder cars. Yes they are still historic examples of the start of a legend, but today's 6 cylinder cars are not. Today any late model V-6 Mustang will be used and forgotten. A new Shelby and even a GT will be much more likely show pieces at future classic car shows.

I was just at a Mustang show Sunday, and there were at least 100 of them there and 90% or more were V-8 Mustangs. I only actually saw one 6 cylinder convertible, but there may have been a few there in all. Most of the cars were Mach 1's, Bosses and even a Shelby Eleanor. The newer cars were 100% V-8 GT's and Shelby's and not one V-6 among them. Like I said, the only late model V-6 I saw was outside the show in the parking lot. The coolest part was the way they lit up the tires on the way out at the end of the show. You don't get that kind of rush from any 6 cylinder Mustang, old or new.

23rd Sep 2009, 10:59

I think the poster meant that out of the current late model Mustangs, only Shelby's and GT's would make it to antique status someday. Nothing to do with the historical first generation of the Mustang.

23rd Sep 2009, 12:46

You are talking about the first generation here! There may be some interest in them because they are the first generation.

It doesn't mean if the first generation 6 cylinder becomes a collectible, that the newer ones will as well.

4 and 6 cylinder Mustangs are a dime a dozen. They do NOT have the Mustang heritage associated with them.

Ha ha, just imagine Steve McQueen outrunning anyone in the Bullit movie with a V6 Mustang. If the Mustang V6 is on par with the Mustang GT, why didn't the producers choose to go with a V6? I'll tell you why, no one would watch the movie!