The Power and Speed of Nostalgia The main characteristics of a Mustang are its value and its nostalgia factor, as exemplified by its power, look, and history. The Ford Mustang was one of the first in the second generation of muscle cars in the 1960’s. This is an “American term used to refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles.” (wiki, 1) The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "…any of a group of American-made 2-door sports cars with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving.” A large V8 engine is fitted with a 2-door, rear wheel drive, family-style compact, a mid-size or full-size car designed for four or more passengers. These cars have a specific style that makes them stand out on the highway and shows. …show more content…
The front is boxy with a chrome grill bearing the picture of the Mustang. The chrome bumper and round headlights complete the front as the sides and hood sweep back sharply. This makes the car have a very fast and mean look to its front. The front window rises to give the driver an unobstructed view and then cuts back and slopes down to the trunk. The sides continue to sweep back with vents to give the car a cleaner look while also providing grab. Finally, the trunk stays flat then drops suddenly into the tail lights. The trademark triple bar, red lights appear on either side of the rear with the gas cap in the center. The word Mustang is spelled on the back rim, just to make sure it cannot be mistaken. No other car looks like it as it makes its appearance before …show more content…
These two are both used because of the direct correlation, the incredible power of the car causes the sound to have a deep tone that reverberates deep into the surrounding bodies and almost seems like a very powerful bass. This sound comes from the powerful V8 engine that sleeps under the hood. From 1964 to 1973, the stock engine at first was a 4.3 liter and then within a few months, they upgraded the car to a 4.7-liter v8 with a 3 speed for automatic transmission and a 4 speed for a manual transmission. This made the car so powerful originally that it was used as the Indianapolis 500 pace during the same years. “The Shelby Mustang, a higher power version of the standard Ford Mustang, would be a staple throughout the Mustang's life. Seen here is the Shelby Mustang GT350, the first of what would be known as ‘Cobras.’” (CSBN) This made the first generation the most powerful until technological advancements occurred during the years of the fourth and fifth generation (1994 – 2014). From the year 2005 to 2010, the stock engine was a 4.0-liter 210 horsepower V6 and the GT had a 4.6-liter 300 horsepower V8. Horsepower is equivalent to the amount of work a horse can do. In 1736, a man named James Watt found that a horse could do 33,000 foot-pounds of work in one minute. A horse exerting 1 horsepower can raise 330 pounds of coal 100 feet in one minute, or 33 pounds of coal 1,000 feet in