09-03-2014, 02:15 PM
I grew up in a small midwest town. My bicycle was my ticket to the world as a kid and I used to ride it everywhere. I'll never forget my first experience with a Mustang (I'd grown up seeing the regular Camaro's, boxy Chevelle's and such - none of those really turned my head though). I'm peddlin' along down an endlessly straight country road, the crickets are singing, cicadia's making their droning sound, calm winds and hot. I'm puffing away and I pickup a hum coming up from behind me and it's closing fast and getting louder. I didn't want to turn & look over my shoulder for fear of accidently swerving out in front of whatever it was coming. Turns out I didn't have to wait long. bwwaaaahahhaahaaaAAZZOOOOOOOOMMMMMMmmmmmmm. It was moving really fast and nearly blew me off the road and all I saw disappearing in the distance in front of me was that beautiful, wide and low rear end of a 1970 Mustang fastback. I remember the Mustang had a rear spoiler and louvers but what model it was I'll never know. IIRC it was Lime/Mint Green Metallic...so it might have been a Boss. Been hooked on that wicked looking rear end ever since!
I now fly airplanes so having a Mach 1 seems to me that it's a good fit. "Mach 1" - what a great name. The car just looks like it's going that fast just sitting there. How can you not love that look?
It's a time period that we'll never see again in the auto industry. These are rolling museum pieces and I'm glad to do my part to show the younger generation what it was like when I was a kid.
Later there was a '70 Mach 1 that roamed the area near our town and I'd catch glimpses of it going by and always wanted to get an up close look at it... never did get to see that one up close.
Finally though I was riding my bike and went around a corner headed towards downtown and parked on the right shoulder in front of a house was a 1970 Mach 1. I wailed on my brakes and turned around to come back to look at it. I'd say looking at it is the incorrect term... more like drooling while being mesmerized by it. I must have walked around that Mach 1 for 20 minutes just taking it all in. Flat black chin spoiler, flat black rear spoiler, flat black rear louvers, bucket seats, 4 speed Hurst shifter (I remember thinking this owner must be a real pro-driver for not having the shifting locations marked on the handle, what did I know as a kid LOL!)... it was intoxicating. I remember the window was down on the driver's side and MAN did I want to just sit in it. Just feel the Hurst handle in my hand and row through the gears, that would have been heaven. Never saw that Mach 1 again in town. It left a lasting impression on me though... obviously.
I now fly airplanes so having a Mach 1 seems to me that it's a good fit. "Mach 1" - what a great name. The car just looks like it's going that fast just sitting there. How can you not love that look?
It's a time period that we'll never see again in the auto industry. These are rolling museum pieces and I'm glad to do my part to show the younger generation what it was like when I was a kid.
Later there was a '70 Mach 1 that roamed the area near our town and I'd catch glimpses of it going by and always wanted to get an up close look at it... never did get to see that one up close.
Finally though I was riding my bike and went around a corner headed towards downtown and parked on the right shoulder in front of a house was a 1970 Mach 1. I wailed on my brakes and turned around to come back to look at it. I'd say looking at it is the incorrect term... more like drooling while being mesmerized by it. I must have walked around that Mach 1 for 20 minutes just taking it all in. Flat black chin spoiler, flat black rear spoiler, flat black rear louvers, bucket seats, 4 speed Hurst shifter (I remember thinking this owner must be a real pro-driver for not having the shifting locations marked on the handle, what did I know as a kid LOL!)... it was intoxicating. I remember the window was down on the driver's side and MAN did I want to just sit in it. Just feel the Hurst handle in my hand and row through the gears, that would have been heaven. Never saw that Mach 1 again in town. It left a lasting impression on me though... obviously.