Ford once built an experimental Mustang concept that never made it to the road

Ford Mustang is one of the most iconic cars that America has ever produced, but while many models have soared to success, one mid-engine concept was forgotten: The Mustang Mach 2.

There has been an abundance of cars that never made it past the blueprints page.

With imaginations running wild in the late 1960s, Ford was one of the leading manufacturers and doing everything it could to stay on top with new and exciting cars.

But while they produced many era-defining cars, the Mustang Mach 2 was left behind.

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Ford once scrapped a mid-engine ’70s Mustang which could have been a major success

Over the years, Ford has made some incredible Mustang cars.

From the latest best-selling Mach-E to tuned-up GT beasts with 850HP to Hollywood favorite, the 1967 Mustang Eleanor, it’s done it all with this range.

But many Mustang concepts have been running through the factory, failing to see the light of day.

One of these is the Mustang Mach 2 Concept which was first revealed in the 1967 Chicago Auto Show.

The Mach 1 was a significant success for Ford, having first been produced back in ’69 and blowing sales for the GT out of the water.

But the Blue Oval had already been working on its successor, the Mach 2.

Its design was vastly different from the usual pony car, opting for a waved sporty aesthetic.

The mid-engine design was a first for the Mustang range.

The maker wanted the two-door coupe concept to push the conventional approach aside, and be a car that stays true to its core but with a whole new and powerful approach.

In a 1967 press release, the Blue Oval described the Mustang Mach 2 as ‘experimental and high performance.’

“In keeping with the philosophy which led to the Mark II and ‘J’ Car prototypes, Ford designers from several corporate departments gave the Mach 2 aerodynamic lines, a midship-mounted engine and rear drive.

“Designed to take Ford’s high-performance 289-cubic-inch family of engines, the Mach 2 weighs approximately 2,650 pounds in road trim and would be substantially lighter in race form,” the release gushed.

However, the ambitious designs were soon put on hold.

What happened to the Mustang Mach 2?

Unfortunately, the Mach 2 never progressed past the early prototypes. The mid-engine build was considered too expensive for Ford, given that its stock chassis needed to change.

Unsure of whether the demand and interest would make the investment viable, it was reportedly wiped off the chalkboard.

A Cobra version was designed as well, but this also faced the chop.

It wasn’t long before the maker produced a mid-engine sports car in the Pantera. But there wasn’t room for both of these models in its lineup.

Its not known if any of the Mach 2 prototypes still exist.

Some Ford concepts somehow did enter the public domain, such as this Explorer Sport Trac which ended up on Facebook Marketplace last month.

If only the Mach 2 had done the same…

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