As a car enthusiast, what i have in offer for you today is a light focus on one of the legends of automotive culture. A car that’s crossed epochs and in itself is a cultural icon from the other side of the pond from where Porsche 911 comes from. A car that in itself defines quintessential American muscle, the Ford Mustang. But not just any, this is my very own 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1!

Introduced in April of 1964 as a sporty “pony car” that would attract younger buyers into Ford products, the Ford Mustang was an instant hit. After a few years of development, Ford saw the need to create performance Mustangs to compete with GM and their release of the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, then, was a performance-oriented option package of the standard Mustang that was introduced originally by Ford in August 1968 as a package for the 1969 model year.

The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 title adorned performance oriented Mustang offerings until the original retirement of the moniker in 1978. 1969 was the benchmark year for Ford Mustang in its proliferation of performance names and engines. No less than 6 factory performance Mustang models were available (GT, Boss 302, Boss 429, Shelby GT350, Shelby GT500 and the Mach 1). Additionally, seven variations of V-8s were available in the ’69–’70 models; most of these also were available with the new Mach 1 package.

My model Ford Mustang is equipped with the optional 5.8-litre 4-valve V8 that produces 290bhp. This V8 was considered as a small block that was mated with an also optional 3-speed FMX automatic transmission. The carburettor has been modified to a Holley 600CFM and the former exhaust system is going to be replaced by a stainless steel American Thunder for better performance and sound.

Everywhere else, my 1969 Mustang Mach 1 has matching numbers, certified by a Marti report (the privileged licensee to Ford Motor Company’s entire production database for the 1967-2012 model years). In term of driving experience, despite the fact that French roads are not comparable with the American ones, this car is really easy to drive thanks to the power steering.

Small Block, V8, American muscle. What is there not to like! … If you don’t mind making several stops at the petrol stations that is.