"I love this car".
Ford For ’69 - It’s the Going Thing!
In 1969, Richard Nixon was President, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the movie to see, and Neil Armstrong made his triumphant mark by being the first man to step foot on the moon.
Meanwhile, back in Detroit, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Dodge, and Ford were in a race to see who could produce the most powerful muscle car. As such, Ford's President Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen stepped up to the plate with an awesome display of power. The end result was the Mach 1, Boss 302, and Boss 429 Mustangs. That's in addition to Carroll Shelby's GT350 and GT500 performance cars. No doubt, 1969 was the year of the powerful pony.
1969 Ford Mustang Production Stats
Convertible Standard: 11,307 units
Convertible Deluxe: 3,439 units
Coupe Standard: 118,613 units
Coupe w/Bench Seats: 4,131 units
Coupe Deluxe: 5,210 units
Coupe Deluxe w/Bench Seats: 504 units
Grande Coupe: 22,128 units
Fastback Standard: 56,022 units
Fastback Deluxe: 5,958 units
Fastback Mach 1: 72,458 units
Total Production: 299,824 units
Special Models Boss 429: 869 units (2 were Boss Cougars)
Boss 302: 1,628 units
Retail Prices:
$2,832 Standard Convertible
$2,618 Standard Coupe
$2,618 Standard Fastback
$3,122 Mach 1 Fastback
$2,849 Grande Coupe
Several different big-block V8 engine options were available for the Mustang in the 1969 model year. After all, power is what this model year was all about. Ford "ponied' up in a big way. Options included the seemingly economical 302-cid engine, the 302-cid Boss, the 351-cid Cleveland, the 390-cid, and the 428-cid Cobra Jet engine. There was also the 428-cid Super Cobra Jet option, and the almighty 429-cid Boss engine.
The Mustang's length was increased by 3.8 inches in an effort to accommodate the additional horses under the hood. The wheelbase remained the same at 108 inches. Of note, Ford launched the Sportsroof Mustang in 1969. This Mustang Fastback was .9 inches lower than the previous model, and featured non-functional air intakes beneath the rear quarter windows. As such, it appeared lower when compared to other Mustangs in the lineup. According to Ford, 134,438 of the 299,824 Mustangs sold were Sportsroof Models.
Another noticeable feature of the 1969 Ford Mustang was its quad round headlights. It's the first and only time they would be featured on a standard production Mustang.
In 1969, Ford also began offering the Grande package. This option featured a vinyl roof, decked out interior with two-spoke steering wheel, electronic clock, and foam bucket seats. The car also featured color-keyed racing mirrors, exterior paint stripes, and wheel covers. Its price, at just $231, made it a popular option for those seeking stylish looks above and beyond the standard Mustang.
1969 Model-Year Highlights
Quad Round Headlights
Sportsroof Package Option
Grande Package Option
Boss 302 Mustang Debut
Mach 1 Mustang Debut
429-cid Semi-Hemi Big Block Engine Offered
Ford also offered the GT Mustang in 1969. Unfortunately the wide variety of other offerings resulted in a decline in GT Mustang sales. In all only 4,973 were sold during the model year. That said, the GT Mustang featured a 351-cid Windsor engine, a special handling package, dual exhaust, hood lock latches, and styled steel wheels, among other goodies.
Though concerned by the number of Mustang variations coming out of Ford, Carroll Shelby once again offered his GT350 and GT500 Mustangs in 1969. His partnership, however, would come to an end before the year was over. Shelby production would continue on one more year, using slightly modified 1969 models which were re-badged with updated VIN numbers, under the guidance of FBI officials at the factory.
No doubt, 1969 was the year of power and performance for the Ford Mustang. Some popular advertising lines used by Ford to sell the 1969 Mustang included, "Mustang Mach 1 - A Horse of a Different Color", "Ford's Fine Line of Cars Never Stops Rolling", and "Nearest Thing to a Trans-Am Mustang that you Can Bolt a License Plate Onto - Boss 302."
Ford offered a choice of ten different engine configurations in 1969:
Engine Code T: 200 cubic inch I-6 engine @ 115hp
Engine Code L: 250 cubic inch I-6 engine @ 155hp
Engine Code F: 302 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 220hp
Engine Code G: 302 cubic inch V-8 engine (Boss) @ 290hp
Engine Code H: 351 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 250hp
Engine Code M: 351 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 290hp
Engine Code S: 390 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 320hp
Engine Code Q: 428 cubic inch V-8 engine (CJ) @ 335hp
Engine Code R: 428 cubic inch V-8 engine (CJ-R) @ 360hp
Engine Code Z: 429 cubic inch V-8 engine (Boss) @ 375hp
Vehicle Identification Number Decoder
Example VIN #9FO2Z100005
9=Last digit of Model Year (1969)
F=Assembly Plant (F-Dearborn, R-San Jose, T-Metuchen)
02=Body Code (01-coupe, 02-fastback, 03-convertible)
Z=Engine Code
100005=Consecutive unit number
Exterior Colors: Acapulco Blue, Aztec Aqua, Black Jade, Calypso Coral, Candy Apple Red, Champagne Gold, Gulfstream Aqua, Indian Fire Red, Lime Gold, Meadowlark Yellow, New Lime, Pastel Gray, Raven Black, Royal Maroon, Silver Jade, Wimbledon White, Winter Blue
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