The 1973 Mustang model year was sad in a way for many Mustang fans. It was the last year of the classic Mustang, the convertible, and the Mach 1 muscle and style fans loved. The big Mustang design was on the way out in favor of smaller more efficient vehicles popular at the time. As a result, design changes to the 1973 Mustang were minimal and few. One of the biggest may have been the turn signal lights that were realigned. However, 1974 had a big redesign planned so the 1973 simply weathered the year as a new model that very closely resembled the previous year's model.
The next year's design was a direct result of a fuel crisis and the amazing amount of economy cars that had been imported from Japan. The 1973 model year was not a popular one for Mustang partly due to the loss of horsepower and that the muscle car no longer had any muscle. There were very few Mustangs sold this model year and Ford was beginning to wonder what to do with the Mustang. Only 134,867 Mustangs were sold in 1973. Slightly better than the year before, but still lacking considerably from previous years.
1973 Mustang Lineup
Powertrain and Performance
The biggest effect on the power and performance for 1973 Mustangs was definitely the new emissions regulations. The muscle car that was once full of power was now much weaker. The six cylinder was dropped down to 88 horsepower which was way too little to truly power the Mustang. The 302 cid was dropped down to 135 horsepower while the two biggest engines, the 351s, powered out 150-200 horsepower. That was the extent of the engines and their newly reduced power.
Exterior
The big Mustang was on its way out and would be replaced by a lighter and smaller version known as the Mustang II. However, in the last year of the Mustang the exterior did not change too much.
There was chrome trim that accented the taillights as well as a big square chrome headlamp. The previously chrome bumpers were replaced by a color keyed urethane front bumper. On the rear of the vehicle between the taillights was a black appliqué with a brighter embellishment. The front grille boasted vertical front parking lights.
The exterior colors for 1973 included Wimbledon White, Blue Glow, Saddle Bronze Metallic, Bright Red, Medium Yellow Gold, Dark Green Metallic, Medium Green Metallic, Gold Glow, Medium Copper Metallic, Ivy Glow, Medium Brown Metallic, Light Blue, Medium Bright Yellow, Medium Blue Metallic, and Medium Aqua.
Interior
The 1973 interior really saw no significant changes from the previous two years. The high back bucket seats remained standard and the three pod dash made a reappearance. Power windows were still an option in 1973. The Décor Group and Sports Interior remained interior options for the '73 Mustang as well.
Final Thoughts
The first generation of Mustangs ended with the 1973 model. The poor sales of the Mustang meant Ford had to do something and the new generation was the hope of a rebound for the Mustang. The second generation was planned to be smaller, more compact, and better on gas. There were a variety of reasons why, but the gas crisis and the new government regulations played huge roles in the redesign and the Mustang's lack of popularity during the early '70s.
