Car Model History

Second generation · Mustang II · 1974–1978

1974Ford Mustang

The Mustang II — a smaller, more economical Pinto-based car for the oil-crisis era, built 1974–1978.

Second generation · Mustang II

1974 Ford Mustang II Ghia — front three-quarter view

Photo: “1974 Ford Mustang Ghia (14389802775)” by Sicnag / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.

Quick facts

Engines
2offered140 cu in (2.3 L) I4 (base; the only Mustang year with no V8) → 171 cu in (2.8 L) V6 (sole option)
Top output
105hp171 cu in (2.8 L) V6 (sole option)
Production
296,041unitsmodel year
Base price
$3,134base coupe
Today
≈$19,900inflation-adjusted MSRP, not market value

Body styles2-door coupe (hardtop) · 3-door hatchback (2+2)

Start here

What do you need to know?

This page covers the whole 1974 Ford Mustang model year. Choose your task first; exact trims and engines are separated where the factory offered different versions.

Documented lineup

Find your exact 1974 Mustang

Start with a family, body style, or engine. Every card opens the facts and maintenance information for that factory version.

1factory configurations
Exact factory pairings documentedHow this lineup was verified

These source-backed records identify published body, engine, and transmission combinations. Exact pairings do not by themselves assert that every factory option or special edition is represented.

1versions shown
Two-door notchback coupe

Ford Mustang Base Two-door notchback coupe Manual

Body
Two-door notchback coupe
Engine
2.3-liter inline-four
Gearbox
4-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version

The 1974 model year

Overview

The Mustang reinvented itself for the oil-crisis era. Smaller, lighter, and built on the subcompact Ford Pinto platform, the Mustang II answered a market that suddenly wanted economy over muscle. Enthusiasts have never forgiven it, but the timing was right: it won Motor Trend's Car of the Year and was a sales hit, the best-selling Mustang since the 1960s. 1974 is also the only model year in the car's history offered with no V8 — the lineup was a 2.3-liter four and a 2.8-liter V6 only. (Horsepower figures are SAE net.)

Specifications

Engines
  • 140 cu in (2.3 L) I4 (base; the only Mustang year with no V8)88 hp
  • 171 cu in (2.8 L) V6 (sole option)105 hp
Transmissions
4-speed manual, C3 3-speed automatic
Body styles
2-door coupe (hardtop), 3-door hatchback (2+2)
Dimensions
Wheelbase 96.2 in · Length 175.0 in · Width 70.2 in
Base price
$3,134 (base coupe)See what that's worth today →
Production
296,041 (model year)

Year over year

What changed

  • Complete redesign — a downsized, Pinto-based car roughly a foot shorter and far lighter than the 1973 Mustang.
  • The only Mustang model year offered with no V8 in the US (a V8 was available only in Mexico).
  • New base 2.3-liter inline-four (Ford's first US-built metric/overhead-cam engine) with a 2.8-liter V6 as the sole option.
  • Rack-and-pinion steering and an isolated front subframe for refinement.
  • Body styles were a notchback coupe and a 2+2 hatchback; no convertible was offered.
  • Trims: base, Ghia (luxury), and Mach 1 (the V6-powered sporty hatchback).

Worth knowing

Notable

  • Motor Trend Car of the Year for 1974 — the last Mustang to win it until 1994.
  • A strong sales debut: about 385,993 cars in the first (introduction) year, with 296,041 produced for the 1974 model year.
  • The Ghia brought a vinyl roof, upgraded trim, and a more formal interior as the luxury choice.

Living with it

Reliability & ownership notes

  • The 2.3-liter four is durable but slow; the 2.8-liter V6 is the livelier choice for this year.
  • Pinto-derived running gear means good parts availability, but rust in the floors, lower fenders, and front subframe is the chief concern.
  • These are economy-era cars — expect modest performance, and judge them as their period intended rather than against 1960s muscle.

What it costs now

Price today

Original MSRP$3,134 (base coupe)1974
Inflation-adjusted≈$19,900what that MSRP is worth in today's dollars

Current market value

We don't publish a market estimate for the 1974 model year yet. A valuation ships here only when it can be sourced and dated — we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

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.

Maintenance & service parts

Keep your 1974 Mustang on the road

Start with the service interval, then match the engine or exact version you own. Order links appear only when a catalog-backed part number is available, and every listing still needs a fitment check.

Service desk

What this car needs & when

Use this as a service-planning checklist for 1974 Ford Mustang. Start with the interval, confirm which engine or configuration you have, then use an exact ordering reference when one is verified.

Service topics
11
Factory intervals
10
Fitment-scoped
11
Exact references
1

Before orderingIdentify your engine, options and build date.Part numbers and sizes can change within one model year. Shopping links appear only for catalog-backed references; still verify the listing against your vehicle before ordering.

Collect

Bring this model year home

Find a scale model using the exact year, make, and model—not a generic generation search.

Famous variants this year

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — "Ford Mustang (second generation)"
  2. CJ Pony Parts — "Mustang Prices Over Time"

Other Second generation years

Explore the Mustang II generation →All Second generation · Mustang II years →

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