<VV> Monza GT and original Ford Mustang

[James P. Rice]

The original Ford Mustang was a small tube-framed mid-engine car about the
same time and size as the Monza GT.  It's water-cooled V-4 engine and
transaxle was from a FWD German car whose name escapes be at the moment.
(Don't tell me, as I don't care.  If I did, I'd go look it up in my Mustang
file.)  It had side mounted radiators, which may be the first time that was
done.  The side scoops motif was carried over to the next Mustang prototype
and then to the production car.  I think on the Shelby GT-350R the scoops
were functional for rear brake cooling.

I actually saw both the original Mustang and the Monza GT near each other at
H.Ford Museum's  Sports Cars in Review show in January of maybe '62.
Remains an interesting comparison and two of my favorite what might have
been.

While I read Iacocca's book many years ago, I do not remember anything
specific from it.  Kind the same information retention from reading "On a
Clear Day You Can See GM", which I valued so much I did nor retain it in my
library.  In retrospect, I think the Mustang as a horse idea was better than
the WWII airplane idea.  The Mustang horse in the sports model of the
species from what little I know about horses.  It P-51 was merely the best
mass produced fighter in WWII.  And we can blame or credit both North
American Aviation and the English for that.  I cannot actually think of any
cars purposefully named after aircraft.

Just a correction about the P-51 radiator configuration.  It was mounted low
in the fuselage behind the wing, with the scoop under the fuselage/wing
union.  I actually have a side view of the 1974 Reno winning Mustang race
airplane staring at me from across my room.

Historically Yours
			James Rice




Message: 4
Date: Tue, 8 Dec 2009 21:32:49 -0600
From: "J R Read_HML" <hmlinc at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: <VV> VV> A breath of fresh air..
To: "Dave Thompson" <dave.thompson at verizon.net>,	"'Marc Marcoulides'"

And I thought it was because one design version was designed as a rear
engine with functional side air scoops.
Later, JR

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Thompson" <dave.thompson at verizon.net>
To: "'Marc Marcoulides'" <hharpo at earthlink.net>; <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 9:26 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> VV> A breath of fresh air..

>I read the book "Lee Iacocca: An autobiography" many years and books ago.
Do I remember correctly that Iacocca wanted the Mustang to be named after
the WWII fighter airplane but marketing changed it to a horse? I think
that's why the Mustang had side scoops, to emulate the radiator scoop under
the wing on the airplane. I could be wrong.
>
> Dave Thompson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marc Marcoulides [mailto:hharpo at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 8:27 AM
> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Subject: Re: <VV> VV> A breath of fresh air..
>
>
>>>If you read the book Lee Iacocca: An autobiography, which I strongly
>>recommend,
>>
> I too suggest Lee Iacocca (read all of his books) even if you hate cars,
his message is strong as he reached for the root of US manufacturing
difficulties and strove to remedy them
>