8 March 2011

The Mustang Milano

The Mustang Milano - first presented in the public in February 1970 was a styling exercise for the 1971 Mustang model and was shown during an US tour with 5 other vehicles, one of them being the Econoline Kilimanjaro concept car. I'd still like to get info on the other 3 cars.



Transcript of the original Ford press release:

 Mustang Milano 
For immediate release 
One of the most popular experimental cars in Ford Divisions's automobile show exhibit is the Mustang Milano, an ultra-violet-colored, two-paint grand touring car. Sure to be one of the most looked-at cars, the Milano features a low, racy design and unique tailgate that raises electrically.
Named for Milan, Italy, where a number of sporty touring cars roam the countryside, the Milano, at 43 inches high, is seven inches lower than a standard 1971 Mustang SportsRoof.
The hood contains NASA-type air scoops -- adapted from a highly efficient aeronautic design -- for power-producing ram-air induction. 
The headlamps and high-powered driving lights are concealed when not in use and th winshield is steeply ranked to a 67-degree angle.
The uniquely-designed rear deck lid, complete with built-in air spoiler is similar to tailgates on some European station wagons. Hinged at the top, the deck lid and backlite open electrically just above the taillights to provide easy accessability to the luggage compartment.
Laced cast aluminum wheels are similar to but stronger than wire wheels used on grand touring cars of the 1920's and 1930's. Wide F60 x 15 tires were designed and built by Firestone especially for this show car.
Milano's ultra violet paint is colour-keyed to the car's interior. The high-back bucket seats have blue-violet fabric inserts and light purple leather trim. Deep purple mohair carpet adds to the luxury look.The carpeted rear area of this two seater carries colour-keyed luggage fabricated from the same leather used in the seat trim.


Ford's promotion tour for these cars was similar to the early sixties Custom Car Caravan; to receive customer's feed-back for future products.
I've yet to find additional shots from the February to November touring shows; pics are very hard to come by on the net. Right now it seems Ed Milano (who happened to have the same surname) was the only one who took a snapshot in 1970 with his 9 year old son at the Grand Central Palace in New York.



"The Pony car Ford should have built" wrote famous Mustang Illustrated Editor Bob McClurg in a article in a July 1997 issue. McClurg speculated that the car might have been an idea out of the newly acquired Ghia studios in Turin or a 1974 Mustang-based Torino that was dumped in favour of the later Pinto approach.
I would have preferred to see this instead of the Mustang II...



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