Ford Mustang
Engines for the 1974 models included the venerable 2.3 L I-4 from the Pinto and the 2.8 L Cologne V6 from the Mercury Capri. The 1975 model year reintroduced Windsor V8 that was only available with the C-4 automatic transmission, power brakes, and power steering. This continued through production end in 1978. Other transmissions were the RAD 4-speed with unique gearing for all three engines, and the C-3 automatic behind the 2.3 L and 2.8 L. The 5.0 L designation was not applied until the 1978 King Cobra model. All 302 equipped Mustang II's, except the King Cobra received an updated version of the classic Ford "V8" emblem on each front fender.
History of Ford Motor Company
In September 1971 the Ford Motor Company launched the Pinto for the North American market. The car's fuel tank integrity is alleged to have been substandard for the time, making the car inordinately susceptible to fuel tank ruptures in rear impact collisions. An article published in "Mother Jones" contributed to a public controversy by saying that Ford knowingly released a design that would result in hundreds of deaths as well as calculating that it was cheaper to fight injury claims in court than make changes to the Pinto's fuel system. Public outcry related to the controversy and the Mother Jones article created political pressure on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which initialed an investigation. The result of the investigation was the issuing a determination that the Pinto and related Mercury Bobcat were defective. This resulted in Ford recalling 1.5 million Pintos and Bobcats, the largest automotive recall to date. Two notable legal cases, Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Company and State of Indiana v. Ford Motor Company are the result of accident related fuel system fires. The Grimshaw jury awarded the plaintiffs $127 million, the largest product liability and negligence award in history at that time; the trial judge reduced the jury award to $6 million. "Indiana v. Ford" was the first time a corporation indicted on criminal charges for a defective product, the Ford Pinto, and the first corporation charged with reckless homicide. The case resulted in a not guilty verdict. Subsequent research has discredited early fatality figures and indicate the Pinto's overall fire safety record was typical for subcompacts of the time.