1973 Ford Mustang
First generation · Original / classic 1964–1973
The original pony car. Launched April 1964 (the famous “1964½” cars, titled as 1965s) and produced through 1973.
Photo: “1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1, front three-quarter view, Golden Super Cruise 2026-06-06” by Xnatedawgx / Wikimedia Commons , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
The 1973 model year
Overview
The swan song of the original Mustang — a mild restyle dominated by the new federal 5-mph front bumper. It was the last of the big first-generation cars and the last Mustang convertible until 1983 (convertible sales roughly doubled as buyers rushed it). The next year’s Mustang II would be a smaller, Pinto-based car. (Horsepower figures are SAE net.)
Specifications
- Engines
-
- 250 I6 98 hp
- 302 V8 140 hp
- 351 Cleveland 2V "H-code" 177 hp
- 351 Cleveland CJ 4V "Q-code" (top engine; no more HO) 266 hp
- Transmissions
- 3-speed manual, 4-speed manual, 3-speed automatic
- Body styles
- Hardtop, SportsRoof, Convertible
- Base price
- $2,760 (base hardtop) ≈$19,500 today (inflation-adjusted) Original MSRP adjusted for inflation (CPI, 2024); not the car's current market/collector value. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (U.S. city average, all items), annual average.
Year over year
What changed
- A 5-mph front bumper became standard and was enlarged for NHTSA (adding ~4 inches of length and ~50 lb).
- Front sport lamps gave way to vertical turn signals.
- A mild grille restyle.
- Magnum 500 wheels gave way to forged-aluminum 5-hole wheels.
- The 351 HO was dropped; the Q-code CJ became the top engine.
Living with it
Reliability & ownership notes
- Generation-wide rust.
- The heavy 5-mph bumper and added weight further blunt performance — this is a touring car, not a 1969-class muscle car.
- Read the horsepower figures as SAE net.
Worth knowing
Notable
- The final first-generation Mustang and the last convertible until 1983 — “last of the line” appeal, especially for the convertible.
- The Mach 1 continued.
Famous variants this year
Sources
- Wikipedia — "Ford Mustang (first generation)"
- Hagerty
- Carscoops
- Curbside Classic
- Classic Industries
- MustangSpecs — per-year base MSRP
Other First generation years
Explore the Original / classic generation → All First generation · Original / classic years →