Public Eye Archives

The Vintage Mustang:
Legend or Lemon?

The Ford Mustang first appeared in 1964 and charmed the country with its all-American style and grace. The car was immediately embraced as a classic. In the movies, the vintage Mustang has been the car of choice for our heroes. Even today, more than 30 years after its debut, an estimated 60 percent of Mustangs built between 1964 and 1970 are still on the road. But could it be that the country's most cherished automotive legacy hides a terrible secret?

In 1995, 17 year-old Ben Hodges was driving a 1967 Ford Mustang on a California Interstate. The car stalled and Ben was rear-ended. The gas tank burst, spewing gasoline liquid and vapors into the passenger compartment. Instantly, Ben was severely burned. His accident is one of over 70 similar incidents involving vintage Ford Mustangs, and he blames the design of the car.

On vintage Mustangs, the gas tank is simply dropped into a hole in the trunk. There is no solid barrier between the passengers and the fuel tank. This gas tank design, an alternative to the widely used strap-on gas tank which is situated apart from passengers, near the rear bumper, was used in a number of mid-size Ford cars in the late 1960's for minimal production cost. In fact, an internal Ford memo reveals that the motor company saved $2 per car.

For years it has been suspected that drop-in fuel tanks present catastrophic potential for fire to severely burn and kill people. A Ford rear-end crash test conducted in the 1960's clearly shows the crash dummies getting showered with gasoline upon impact. But in the 1960's and 1970's, there were no federal safety standards for fuel tanks to withstand rear-end collisions. Several other car models had fire problems too, including Ford's own Pinto. Ford was sued 29 times for Pinto fires before the company ordered a recall. Ford has had over 70 lawsuits involving classic Mustangs and people like Ben Hodges want to know why the car is still on the road. Although Ford declined to be interviewed, visit Spotlight to read the letter from a Ford attorney addressing the issues raised on Public Eye.

Written and Produced by: Michele Brown

Technical Producer: Christian Setterlund