The 1972 Ford Mustang seemed to represent the despair that Ford was having with sales of its formerly infallible pony car. Little changed from the 1971 model, with only a few additional performance and exterior options to enhance the faltering line. Only 125,813 of the machines were produced that year.

Of course, 1972 was a difficult year for all muscle cars, between the Clean Air Act and the Arab oil embargo. Due to these new restrictions, power was reduced rather than increased in the '72 Mustang. The highest-rated engine (the 351-ci HO) achieved 275 horsepower. Still impressive, yet for a top-of-the-line engine, slightly disappointing to the Mustang enthusiasts.