The weeks are counting down until Rutledge Wood and his team of car-builders unveil their rebuilt 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas on Oct. 31. The car and all the parts were purchased on eBay Motors. Rut promises to pay homage to the original first-generation Mustang—but also create something completely new (and downright rowdy).
We know from the car’s appearance at the Woodward Dream Cruise in mid-August that it’s wearing knobby tires and riding higher than most classic ‘Stangs. (Learn more about the “On The Road with eBay Motors” tour.) The potential payoff for creating a reimagined ’67 Mustang Fastback is huge. But redesigning a beloved iconic car has its perils, as can be seen in Mustang design over the generations.
This candy-apple red beauty is just one of 35,698 fastbacks built for the 1966 model year.
When the Mustang bulked up in the early 1970s, the changes irked enthusiasts—purists that preferred its original leaner form. Legend has it that Lee Iacocca, the famed automobile executive known for spearheading the development of Mustang, wanted to quickly return the pony car to its roots. However, the next version—the short-lived 1974-1978 Mustang II—was not a crowd-pleaser even though it slimmed down to its former dimensions.
While the Fox Body lacks the style of the greatest generations, this turbocharged four-cylinder 1985.5 SVO is one of the rarest of the breed.
It took three generations before the model fully returned to its most identifiable design. The fifth-generation Mustang, which was introduced in 2005, featured an aggressive and familiar front fascia with round headlamps behind clear aero covers.
The 2013 Boss 302 harkens back to the original and is one of the most sought-after fifth-generation Mustangs.
In recent years, the design has come full circle. The sixth-generation ’Stang, the current model that was first revealed in New York City, is arguably the most handsome since the 1960s. The new design, which remains in place in 2017, is longer, wider, and taller than the 1968 variant, although the wheelbase is slightly shorter. “If you look at the profile of the car, the grille has a shark bite and a leaning forward effect,” Moray Callum, Ford’s executive director of design, told us. “This is something all the great Mustangs have,” he said. “We wanted it to look like a fist breaking through the air.”
Shelby Mustangs have always commanded a premium. This screaming yellow and black 2017 model has undeniable presence.
Rear detail of the eBay Motors 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback
The sixth-generation Mustang’s flanks are sleek with bulging wheel wells that barely contain the aggressive wheels and tires. “We vacuum-wrapped the car around its mechanics,” Callum said. “We used the sculpture of the car to suck the body sides in, to enhance the muscular effect, and to give the car more of a lean look.” The tri-bar tail lamps in back are also a strong Mustang design signature.
Rut and his team, students of Mustang design over the decades, used the lessons of the modifications over time to develop the unique approach employed with the eBay Motors ’67 Fastback. If the 2018 Mustang looks like it’s crouching low in the weeds, the eBay Motors ’67 rebuilt car—with its raised suspension and General Grabber AT2 off-road tires—looks like it’s ready to chase down and tackle wildlife in the Nevada desert. It will be right at home in Las Vegas, eBay Motors and the team will end their journey and unveil the final resto-mod at SEMA, the premier auto parts and accessories show, on Oct. 31, 2017.
