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1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 appears at Chicago Auto Show

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Ford rolled out one of its hall-of-farmers this week at the Chicago Auto Show, placing a 1971 Mustang Mach 1 front and center at its display. Clad in Grabber Blue and gray, the iconic pony car attracted more than a bit of attention at the press preview, even as Ford used the Chicago show to highlight the 2018 Expedition.

The restored 46-year-old Stang was in impeccable condition. The window sticker said it includes Flowmaster mufflers, a polished Edelbrock carburetor, KYB shocks, and a larger front sway bar. There were also power front disc brakes, power steering, air conditioning, and tinted glass. The deliciously retro powertrain has a 351-4V engine – that's a healthy V8 – and a C6 Select Shift Cruise-O-Matic transmission.

The 1971 Mustang was one of the last great pony cars before the mid-70s oil crisis and changing consumer tastes put the kibosh on muscle machines for nearly three decades.

Why was it on display in Chicago? Automakers occasionally roll out great products from yesteryear at auto shows. Conspiracy theorists could interpret that Ford will add a Mach 1 as one of its next special edition Mustangs, and this was an Easter Egg teaser hiding in plain sight. A spokesman said it was actually part of a charity giveaway.

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Ford Mustang Information

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