1971 Mustang Mach 1

A Good Bet

’71 Mustang Mach 1 “Casino Car”

Story and photos by John Gunnell

On 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.

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. 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.

Original shifter handle was adapted to the upgraded five-speed tranny.

High-back front bucket seats were standard equipment.

The 51-cid V8 is finished in Ford blue with correct air cleaner decal. Marketers and engineers viewed this as a weakness of 1969- ‘70 models and sought to rectify the situation with an engine bay big enough to handle any power plant Ford had. Another plus was that the longer body gave designers extra interior room in which to create more comfortable passenger seating than in earlier “pony cars.”

Unfortunately, Ford’s timing and instincts proved to be slightly off. When this “fourth-generation” Mustang was in the planning stages (roughly 1968- ‘70), car companies and the American public were willing partners in a horsepower escalation that seemed to have no end. By the time it hit the showroom, high insurance premiums and increasing government regulations were putting the brakes on all of that enthusiasm.

The 1971 body styles were very similar to the previous ones: two-door hardtop, two-door SportsRoof and two-door convertible. The Grandé, Mach 1 and Boss models were back. However, a new Boss 351 replaced the Boss 302 and Boss 429. Its 351-cid 330-hp “Cleveland” engine became the Mustang’s small-block, high-performance V8.

An optional hotter-looking ’71 grille deleted the corral, but offered amber auxiliary lights imbedded in the honeycomb-textured insert. On these models, the galloping horse was depicted on a small tribar emblem in the grille’s centre. A chrome bumper and chrome fender and hood moldings were standard, except on Mach 1s and Boss 351s.

Standard equipment for Mustangs included colour-keyed nylon carpeting; a floor-mounted shift lever; high-back bucket seats; steel door guard rails; DirectAire ventilation; concealed wipers with cowl air inlets; a mini-console with ash tray; arm rests; courtesy lights;

’71 Mustangs were larger, lower and wider than previous versions.

a cigar lighter; a heater and defroster; an all-vinyl interior; a glove box; the 250-cid six; E78-14 fibreglass-belted black sidewall tires and, on convertibles, a power top.

Mach 1s like this casino car had standard SportsRoof equipment, plus a colour-keyed spoiler/bumper with colour-keyed hood and fender moldings. Also, colour-keyed were the dual racing mirrors, with the left-hand mirror featuring remote-control operation. Mach

1s came standard with the sport lamp grille; competition suspension; hubcaps and trim rings; a black, honeycomb-textured rear appliqué; a pop-open gas cap; a deck lid paint stripe; black or argent silver lower body side finish with bright moldings at the upper edge; E70-14 whitewalls and the base V8. NASA-style hood scoops were optional at no cost.

The new car’s heavier body would have been too much for the small 200-cid inline six-cylinder; in its place at the bottom of the powerplant list for 1971 was a slightly more powerful 250-cid six. A mild, 210-hp 302-cid engine was the standard V8 for the line, with other small-block offerings including 240- and 285-hp versions of the 351-cid V8, plus the 330-hp Boss 351 powerplant. This car has the M-code 351-cid 280/285-hp engine.

The options list—always praised by Ford for its broad range—again gave Mustang buyers the ability to customize their purchases straight from the dealership. Wheel choices included the Magnum 500 chromed styled steel wheels that cost $120 for Mach 1s. This package included an F78-14 Space-Saver spare tire and required F60-15 raised white-letter tires and the competition suspension. The Dual Ram Air induction option, which was added to the casino car, cost about $65. It included appropriate Ram Air decals. The rear decklid spoiler on this car was available for SportsRoof models for $32.

The Décor Group interior was available for $97 including special seats and door panels, as well as a choice of knitted vinyl or cloth-and-vinyl high-back bucket seats (knitted vinyl required for convertibles). Mach 1s also had a rear ashtray; deluxe left- and right-hand black instrument panel appliqués; a deluxe two-spoke steering wheel; molded door trim panels; colour-keyed racing mirrors (left-hand remote-control); and rocker panel and wheel lip moldings. The casino car also has NASA style scoops and hood locks.

If the less-than-spectacular engine lineup didn’t excite enthusiasts, it should be noted that Ford had officially pulled factory support out of motorsports the previous year. Considering that the government and insurance companies were slipping a noose around the neck of the high-performance automobile, history suggests this was a smart move.

Mustang production for 1971 continued to decline, dropping to 149,678. Of all Mustangs built in the model year 1971, some 5.3 percent had a manual transmission; just 1.9 percent had power windows. So, the Casino car has some rare options on it.

Menominee Casino wanted a classic giveaway car and called the late Red Lewis.

1971 MUSTANG MACH 1 lD NUMBERS VIN on the top left side of the instrument panel is visible through the windshield. The 1971 VIN consisted of 11 symbols. The VIN for this car is F1F05M217449. The first symbol F is the Ford symbol and is not considered part of the VIN. Next comes a 1 that stands for 1971. Then comes an F that indicates the assembly plant that built the car: F=Dearborn, Mich. The next two symbols tell the model and body style: 05=Mach 1 SportsRoof Coupe. The next symbol indicates the size and type of engine: M=351-cid V8 with four-barrel carburetor. This engine produced 285 hp in cars built thru May 1971 and 280 hp in cars built after that date. The last six symbols are the unit’s sequential production number at the assembly plant where it was built starting at 100001 at each factory.

The casino car carried number 217,449, so it was the 217,448th car built at Dearborn in 1971. A sticker on the driver’s side door jamb gives additional coded information about the car. It has the sequential production number and full VIN, plus the following codes: Body Code 63R indicates a Mach 1 SportsRoof model. Paint code A indicates Raven Black finish. Trim code 5A indicates black knitted vinyl upholstery. Axle code S indicates 3.50:1 ratio. Transmission code 5 indicates four-speed manual. District Sales Office Code 56 indicates sold in Davenport, Iowa.

The casino car ‘s odometer reading was 42,382 miles. It had body and paint that was in fine condition, as was the interior. Like-new BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires were mounted. The car ran well and had plenty of power. It had been upgraded with a five-speed manual transmission, but the original four-speed style shifter was used.

The car had original-fit Classic Auto Air air-conditioning. Options included a Ford tachometer and dashboard gauge cluster. The “351 4V” V8 was detailed with air cleaner decals. The car featured interior accent trim, fog lights, a chin spoiler, a rear deck lid spoiler, a factory AM radio and power windows. According to the ConceptCarz Website, auction prices for cars like this one average $56,970. Not a bad haul for a trip to a casino! There was no mistaking a ’71 Mach 1 for another Mustang.

Menominee Casino wanted a classic giveaway car and called the late Red Lewis.