A Good Bet
’71 Mustang Mach 1 “Casino Car” Story and photos by John Gunnell
O
n Jan. 7, 2021, William “Red” Lewis—the 78-year-old founder of The Automobile Gallery in Green Bay, Wis.--passed away peacefully at home. Lewis was a car wash entrepreneur who introduced the robotic arch brushless car wash system that he sold in 30 countries. He was also an automobile lover who collected more than 100 vehicles.
The 1971 Mustangs had a slightly longer wheelbase (109 inches) than the 1970 version and also grew 2.1 inches in length. They measured 189.5 inches bumper-to-bumper, 7.1 inches more than the original 1965 model. The ‘71s were also 3.0 inches wider than the big-block-capable ‘70 Mustang and 6.8 inches wider than the original version that offered a small-block V8. Weights were up an average of 500 lbs. from 1970.
As a respected collector. Lewis was often asked to help out in various car-related situations and in 2019 he became involved with finding a giveaway car for the Menominee Casino in Green Bay. The 1971 Ford Mach 1 featured here was selected from a number of muscle machines to be the casino’s promotional vehicle. The ‘71 Mustangs were completely redesigned in a size that was the largest ever for the marque. Styling left little doubt that the cars were Mustangs, but they were lower, wider and heavier than any previous Mustangs. A full-width grille, with the headlights inside its opening, was used. A “Mustang corral” was again seen in the grille’s centre. Still built with the sales-winning long hood/short deck proportions of the 1965 model, the ’71 Mustangs looked like even-more-muscular cousins of the originals. In this evolutionary step, new features were apparent including a flatter roof for the fastback and a “tunnel backlight” (basically a recessed rear window) built into hardtop coupes. 36 MUSCLE CAR PLUS MAGAZINE FEB/MAR 2021
Original shifter handle was adapted to the upgraded five-speed tranny.
