Few of us can agree on what makes an automobile right. Few of us can argue with the emotional charisma of a first- or second-generation Mustang convertible; make that a first-generation GT with the sound of a solid lifter 289 Hi-Po insidejust for fun. Next in line is undoubtedly the 69-70 Mustang SportsRoof. Make ours a Boss 302 or a Cobra Jet Mach 1. Now thats right.
Not many of us get excited over 69-73 Mustang hardtops because they tend to be vanilla in scope. We remember these cars for our high school math teacher or the divorced neighbor down the block. As we said, vanilla and utilitarian in scope. Dress up one of these hardtops in the right color combination with a smattering of options, however, and suddenly its the cutest thing youve ever seen.
Mustang Monthly staffer Tom Rounds caught this hardtop at Charlotte during the Mustangs 35th anniversary celebration a year ago. There it was, clad in glistening Light Pewter Metallica nice ride anyone would be proud to own and drive. Call this Mustang dElegance. Why? Because its not something you see every day. Fourth-generation Mustang hardtops are survivors because they didnt have the mass appeal enjoyed by their SportsRoof and convertible siblings. They remain the kids whom those outside of the family overlooked.
Theresa Marie Slaughter of New Jersey didnt overlook this pewter hardtop. She isnt a high school math teacher, nor is she that lonely soul down the block. She specializes in retail sales. To get a look at her prized possession, well start by opening the driver door. Stroll past the pewter finish into a rich world of brilliant vermillion vinyl. Its rich yet vanilla. Its dressed in all black yet it screams magenta. It has high-back bucket seats, a console, a Philco AM radio, and a host of nice Mustang refinements for 1972. Take the wheel and this Mustang yields a comfortable driving experience. Lean on the gas and the 302-2V small-block V-8 responds with ample power. A C4 Select-Shift smoothly channels the twist to conventional 2.79 cogs in back. Twin-pod instrumentation looks sharp, and a steeply raked dashboard yields a bold and majestic appearancesomething to be proud of.
Theresa affectionately calls her Mustang Madison. Its an easily admired and respected family member. A restoration allows us to express our love and affection for those possessions we hold dear, especially when it becomes the ultimate sacrifice of time and assets. A restoration takes heaping measures of both. Whats more, this one was accomplished by Theresa and her family.
The icing on the cake is the prestige that comes from the recognition of your peers in Mustang Club of America concours competition. Teresas 72 has won two First Place awards in MCA Grand National competition. Add to that an MCA National Show First Place award; an MCA Grand National Gold; an MCA National Gold; two awards for Excellence at the 30th and 35th anniversary celebrations, respectively, in Charlotte; and a Best of Show at Rice and Holman Ford in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Outstanding performance from an oft overlooked cuter pewter coupe.