Regular readers will know that I’ve had a passion for Ford Mustangs for many years. I’ve owned two 1966 coupes, one of which I sold to Classic American 20 years ago, which was given away as a prize in a competition. In the late Seventies I also had a 1967 Mercury Cougar, the more luxurious sibling of the Mustang. When I told editor Ben that I’d bought a relatively new sixth generation Mustang, I knew he would want me to write a Behind The Wheel article for the magazine, as it demonstrates that the contributors have a genuine interest in American cars. I wasn’t aware that this issue was to be a Mustang Special and was surprised when he asked me to produce a piece on buying a modern Mustang. I pointed out that this would be a very personal assessment of what was available, explaining my reasons for wanting a Mustang and my eventual choice, but he assured me that as I had been a regular contributor to Classic American since the beginning, this was what he wanted.
The options
Firstly, given my long-term interest in classic American vehicles, why did I decide upon a modern Mustang? With advancing age, arthritis in both my thumbs and knees has made car maintenance a chore, rather than a pleasurable pastime. A modern car can be returned to a main dealership for repair, or in extremis,
