Almost all of us have walked through a field of cars at a show and seen something that made us think, "Boy, that is super sharp. I wonder what that would set me back?" We are pretty sure Al Hoyt thought the same thing when he spied this Bright Red '72 convertible at a show and then made a deal with then-owner Ray Ferrel. What is funny is that the show was mostly centered on tractors and tractor pulling-Al's main pastime.
"I go to the Bennington Car Show in Bennington, Vermont, each year for an antique tractor show and pull," says Al. "I always go to look at the cars on display. In 1996 this particular '72 convertible caught my eye."
And why wouldn't it? When Robert "The Big Kahuna" Myhrer and I spied the car at the Fantasy of Flight show in Lakeland, Florida, this past April, we were floored at how nice and stock the '72 was. Here was a feature car right in our own back yard.
What Al brought to the show is a fine example of the convertible as Ford saw it in its next to last year of production until 1983. The Bright Red topcoat is one that turns heads at car shows, as does the black Comfortweave interior. The convertible's insides pack the molded door panels and camera case instrument-panel appliqus from the deluxe interior. It also features Comfortweave seats and a power top standard. This particular Mustang is also optioned out with a Rim-Blow wheel and console to add to the creature comforts available to Al. Under the hood is the only engine to receive factory ram air after 1971-the 351 Cleveland 2V (H code).
Fortunately for Al, the convertible came with this desirable option as well as a few other comforts that his Ferguson tractors can't seem to conjure up. These include the hefty FMX automatic transmission and freeway flier 2.75:1 open rear axle. Ahhh is added via the air conditioning, power steering, and power disc brakes.
The car is also equipped with the Exterior Dcor Group that includes the grille from the Mach 1, lower body blackout, as well as trim rings and caps instead of the standard full cap applied to the base convertible. Al's car also has the tape stripe picked up from the Mach 1 and optional with the Exterior Dcor Group.
Though the former owner was loath to drive the convertible, having always trailered it, Al had no such qualms. After the deal was struck at the show in Vermont, Al told the fellow that he intended to drive the car the 150 miles home since there was no room on his tractor-hauling trailer, and nobody wants to drive a tractor from Vermont to New Hampshire where Al spends his summers.
This driving idea distressed the owner, so he agreed to take the car from the show to Al's place in his enclosed trailer. "I think you could say that he really cared about the car a lot," says Al.
Indeed. Al continues that caring, though he does drive the car regularly. We bet that with the peppy 351, it is far more regular than the Ferguson tractors he owns.