The Pinto-based Mustang II nearly killed the Mustang franchise. Its sole claim to fame being a bit of product placement on the original "Charlie's Angels" series. Plain chick Sabrina drove the notchback Ghia model, smoking hot Kelly (played by Farrah Fawcett) naturally got the Cobra. But the joke was on her--its smogged choked V8 put out about 140 hp. In a rare moment of understatement, Road & Track simply called it "neither fast, nor particularly good handling."
1974 Ford Mustang II
1974 Ford Mustang II
The Pinto-based Mustang II nearly killed the Mustang franchise. Its sole claim to fame being a bit of product placement on the original "Charlie's Angels" series. Plain chick Sabrina drove the notchback Ghia model, smoking hot Kelly (played by Farrah Fawcett) naturally got the Cobra. But the joke was on her--its smogged choked V8 put out about 140 hp. In a rare moment of understatement, Road & Track simply called it "neither fast, nor particularly good handling."
1977 Ferrari 308 GTB
1977 Ferrari 308 GTB
Even Ferraris weren't immune to the emasculation that was the norm in the malaise era. The '77 308 may have looked great, but drive one today, and you'll live in fear of meeting a Nissan Versa at the next stop light. Naught to sixty time for the '77 308 was an excruciatingly slow 9.4 seconds.
1978 Ford Fairmont
1978 Ford Fairmont
About the only good that can be said about the Fairmont/Zephyr twins is the fact that the platform ("Fox" in Fordese) became the basis for the Mustang that would lead us back down the path of righteousness in 1985. Otherwise, the Fairmont and the Zephyr were abysmally put together, looked like the box they came in, were barely able to break 16 seconds in the 0-60 sprint and 100 mph was out of the question. All for an unimpressive 22 mpg in return.
