1978 Ford Mustang the Rebirth of the Stang
Death of the Economy Car, Mach 1 and the Cobra II
This was the end of the Economy Car era, the end of the Mustang II. It also marked the return of the original pony car that made the Mustang a household name. The horsepower of the Mustang took another hit, but this time only one engine was altered. The 171ci motor took a 13 horses hit, going from 103 hp to 90 hp. However, the 2.3L remained the same and the 302 gained a few horses, going from 134 hp to 139 hp. The Mach 1 model also saw its last year of production in 1978, as did the Cobra II option packages.
(CAFÉ) Rules and the Mustang
In 1978, the federal government introduced the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) rules. These rules required that every car sold had to meet certain Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ratings regarding fuel economy. Any automaker that did not comply would face stiff fines. For 1978, the requirements were set at 18 mpg the increased to 19 mpg for 1979 and increased on a yearly basis until the mpg for 1985 was 27 ½. These requirements promised modifications of the size, weight and performance of a vehicle so a new Mustang era emerged in 1979.
