With a year behind the belt, the Mustang II needed more power to not fade too much in power.

The Ghia version sees its vinyl roof take more importance and thickness. As for the other versions of the Mustang II, there is so much "no changes" that some photos from the 1974 brochure are reused in 1975, such as the red Mach 1, the 2+2 fastback with brown hatchback, and the beige coupe.

Sales in 1975 were 188.575 units, almost half the 1974 figure.

The images below present you the dealer brochure of the time.

Let’s start the 6 Mustang II overview of the year 1976 with the favorite Mustang II of Farah Fawcett, the Cobra II 1976 black and gold. It is a rather original look that the owner offered us. The 2 others were blue and white Cobra II, the 2 other body colors available on this model.

The Cobra II was powered by a 4.9-litre V8 with 140 horsepower, the largest block offered on the generation of Mustang II.

The special features of the Cobra II appearance group that began in 1976 are the Le Mans-style decorative stripes popularised on Shelby American Cobras during the 1960s and the lateral decorative stripe with the inscription “COBRA II” in large letters, not forgetting the drawing of the cobra affixed with stickers on the wings.

3 color combinations were available on the Cobra II either white with blue stripes, blue with white stripes and black with gold stripes.

It is worth noting the addition of a front deflector and a rear spoiler, its alloy wheels adds to the sporty look of the car. Its appearance in the Charlie’s Angels series help bringing a higher success than expected by Ford in terms of sales for this model with an eye-catching look.

The 1976 Mustang Stallion stood out for its dark, sporty look: black trim, a grille without an emblem and black body bottoms. Although often associated with black and silver, it was available in several bright colors including Silver Metallic, Bright Red, Bright Yellow, Polar White, and Silver Blue Glow.

With this model, Ford wanted to revive the flame of performance enthusiasts who missed the big V8 and the muscular spirit of old Mustangs. The car has a sticker on the front wing reminiscent of the Shelby Terlinga. Its 5-hole aluminum wheels were very trendy at the time on the Mustang II.

This model was only produced in 1976 as a coupe and fastback, was less known than the Cobra II and about 1,942 coupes were produced.

The unit of the Stallion of the Mustang II seen in Carlisle was Silver Metallic with red interior was the most beautiful color combo.

The Ford Mustang II Stallion is the perfect embodiment of the rebellious spirit that lies in every Mustang.

The Cobra II in Shelby’s look and the Stallion inspired by the Mustang Terlinga hired by Shelby American in Trans Am series in 1967, 1968 were the 2 big new arrivals of the 1976 model year. Another novelty is the appearance of the "tu-tones" option on the entry-level Mustangs. This option was to have a section of another color under the pleats of the bodywork bottoms for a customizable look according to the colors chosen.

Sales in 1976 were 187,567 cars, maintaining the previous year’s level of sales despite the arrival of 2 sporty-looking versions of the Mustang II.

The images below present you the dealer brochure of the time.

In addition to design elements such as a black grille, black running mirrors, louvers on the rear windows, a rear spoiler, and a hood with an unfunctional air intake, the Mustang II in version Cobra II will take many colors in 1977 1/2 with new 3 colors decorative strips following the disco trend.

There were four possible body colour and trim combinations on the Cobra II from 1977 1/2 model year to the end of production generation in 1978:
• White with 3 color red stripes
• White with 3 color green stripes
• White with 3 color blue stripes
• Black with 3 color gold stripes

On the exhibited car, you can see a white Cobra II with red decorative bands outlined by 2 different orange tones.

The interior of the car is red which harmonizes well with the exterior decoration. Ford wanted to remind the world that the Mustang did not loose its sporty soul.

About 21% of all Mustang hatchbacks sold in 1978 were Cobra II models.

Production of the Cobra II in 1978 dropped to 8,009 units, well below its peak of 25,259 units in its first year.

Following the disappearance of the Stallion version, the Cobra II will be offered in red with white stripes for early 1977. It will also be the occasion for Ford to introduce the T-Top roof for the first time on a Mustang. But only the fastback hatchback version will inherit it. The Cobra II will receive new disco-inspired decals in the middle of the year.

Sales in 1977 were 153,173 units, a drop of 20,000 units compared to 1976. The sales brochure was more complete in terms of pictures and page numbers than in previous years

The images below present you the dealer brochure of the time.

The 1974 Mustang Mach 1 2+2 marks a turning point with the arrival of a hatchback bodywork seen on a prototype Mach 1 back in 1968 and 1970. While temporarily abandoning the V8 in 1974, it retains its sporty look and stands out with specific equipment including a black stripe on the back of the car and a specific Mach 1 lettering recalling the look of the 1970 version.

A rare black Mach 1 2+2 fastback model of the Mustang II was presented at the Mustang II 50 Years exhibition held in Carlisle. The Mach 1 is a model less often seen in exhibitions because it was replaced by the more exuberant and popular Cobra II from 1976. This can be seen from the estimates of sales figures from 1974 onwards:
    •   1974: Approximately 20,000 units.
    •   1975: Approximately 13,000 units.
    •   1976: Approximately 9,000 units.
    •   1977: Approximately 6,000 units.
    •   1978: Approximately 5,000 units.

Released in 1974, the Mach 1 was the high-performance version of the Mustang II with a... 6 cylinder engine of... a low 105 horsepower. A version of the 5.0-litre V8 will be installed in Mach 1 from 1975 to 1978.

In 1975, it introduced options such as the Rallye package, which included a Traction-Lok differential, 195/70 BWL tires, an additional cooling system, and a competition suspension.

In 1976, the Mach 1 remained a sports version of the Mustang II, but it was joined by the more appearance-oriented Cobra II.

The 1977 model included improvements such as a grille with more pronounced horizontal bars, a front spoiler, and four-way adjustable front seats.

The low sales of the Mach 1 compared to the Cobra II had killed the model at the end of the generation in 1978, all due to a beautiful Californian actress, star of a popular series!

In 1978, Ford launched the King Cobra version, a special edition of the Ford Mustang II, designed to mark the end of this pony car generation, and a disco star-like car ready to seduce sports car fans. Facing the Pontiac Trans Am, Rocky Balboa’s favorite car, Ford takes out boxing gloves and replicates with this car that combines style and design, shaking up the market.

Result?

A legendary special edition, confirmed by five dazzling units that I saw in 2024 in Quebec City and in Carlisle.

Aesthetically, the car with an exclusive front deflector, fine pinstripe lines of colors skirting the body and a stylized cobra on the hood in the manner of the Trans Am bird, not to mention the King Cobra lettering affixed to the doors, had the package to meet Pontiac.

Here are some interesting details about the car:
    •   The performance of the 5.0-litre V8 at 139 horsepower was modest, with a top speed of approximately 108 mph and an acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in about 11 seconds.
    •   The King Cobra was limited to 4,313 units, making it a rare and sought-after model among collectors.
    •   Sold as a package at a price of US$1,277 to be added to the car price.
    •   The 1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra was available in 8 different body colours: red, yellow, orange, silver, black, brown, blue and white.
    •   In addition, there were 4 graphic stripe options: red and black, orange and gold, red and black, and blue and light blue.
    •   The stylized spoke wheels with thickness color matching the car graphics.

It is with 6 models of the Mustang II in the catalog that the career of this generation of the favorite American pony car will end.

But it won’t be without a new version with a spectacularly spicy look called the King Cobra! Although it sold around 5,000 units, this Mustang will not exceed 200,000 units.

Sales in 1978 were 192,410, a good 40,000 car increase over 1977.

The images below present you the dealer brochure of the time.

Admit that this generation of Mustang offers Mustangs visually attractive in terms of body colors as the 2 Ghia model seen at the 2024 Carlisle Ford Nationals of the first years of yellow color with vinyl brown roof or forest green metallic added with golden pinstripe, and a forest green vinyl roof!

For my part, I remember drawing these Mustangs in high school.

The Mustang II, a landmark in American automotive history in the 1970s, proves that the icon can evolve without losing its essence of style and freedom.