Ford’s Forgotten Supercar: The 1967 Mach 2 Concept - AllCarIndex

Ford’s Forgotten Supercar: The 1967 Mach 2 Concept

Oct 10, 2024

In the golden age of American muscle and innovation, Ford was busy pushing the boundaries of what a performance car could be. Enter the 1967 Ford Mach 2 Concept—a sleek, mid-engine marvel that never quite made it past the concept stage but left a lasting impression on anyone lucky enough to catch a glimpse. Aimed squarely at delivering a potent mix of street performance and track-day thrills, the Mach 2 was Ford’s bold foray into mid-engine sports car territory, following in the legendary footsteps of its GT40 racing brethren.

The Mach 2’s Radical Engineering

At first glance, the Ford Mach 2 looked like something pulled straight from the race circuits of Europe. The sleek bodywork, with its aerodynamic lines and aggressive stance, was designed for performance. But this wasn’t just a pretty face; Ford’s engineers packed a serious punch under the fiberglass skin.

Unlike its more famous American counterparts, the Mach 2 boasted a midship-mounted 289-cubic-inch V8 engine, delivering better weight distribution, superior handling, and optimal braking performance. At the time, this was cutting-edge stuff. Ford even admitted that the design was geared toward potential racing applications, and the Mach 2's lighter race form could have made it a contender on any track.

Donald N. Frey, Ford's VP and Division General Manager at the time, emphasized this forward-thinking design, stating that the Mach 2’s engine placement and independent rear suspension made it highly advanced. And he wasn’t wrong—this setup put the Mach 2 ahead of many contemporaries in terms of driving dynamics.

Style Meets Substance

For a concept, the Mach 2 didn’t skimp on the technical details. The car’s semi-monocoque steel underbody and fiberglass body construction kept things lightweight and strong. In road trim, it tipped the scales at a mere 2,650 pounds—pretty lean for something packing a V8.

The design team took aerodynamic efficiency seriously, directing air through the car in clever ways. Air for the radiator was sucked in at the front and expelled through the deck, with thermostatically controlled electric fans doing the hard work of keeping things cool. The rear, meanwhile, featured carburetor intakes on the deck and exhaust vents integrated into the grille.

The Mach 2’s cockpit was equally innovative, featuring seats integrated into the car’s structure, adjustable pedals for a tailored driving experience, and a front-hinged door that opened upward, giving the car a distinctly exotic touch. It wasn't just a car; it was an experience.

The Mustang Connection

Under the Mach 2’s revolutionary skin lay familiar roots—components from the Ford Mustang were adapted and modified to fit this unique package. The frame, front suspension, steering, and brakes were all borrowed from the Mustang parts bin, albeit with disc brakes up front and drum brakes at the rear to handle the demands of this new mid-engine layout. These shared components made the Mach 2 feel less like an experiment and more like a natural evolution of Ford’s performance lineup.

But the Mach 2 wasn’t just about the guts; it also had style. The magnesium wheels with steel rims, complete with chrome-plated lug nuts, gave it a polished, professional look. The American flag emblem flanked by checkered racing flags added a patriotic flair, a subtle reminder of Ford’s motorsport pedigree.

Could Have Been a Contender

Despite its promise, the Mach 2 never made it into production. With its five-speed manual transaxle, rear trailing link suspension, and aircraft-style fuel cells, it was a technological marvel, but the market was shifting. The American public, still in love with muscle cars, wasn’t quite ready for a mid-engine sports car, especially one that seemed to blur the lines between road and race track.

Still, the 1967 Ford Mach 2 remains one of the great "what ifs" of automotive history. Had it gone into production, it could have given Europe’s finest a serious run for their money. At just 47 inches high and with a razor-sharp driving experience, this car was Ford’s moonshot at taking American performance to the next level. Even though it never made it to dealerships, the Mach 2 is still celebrated as one of Ford’s most daring concepts—a glimpse of what could have been.

Ford’s Mach 2 Concept was an ambitious project, no doubt, but it served as a clear indicator of Ford’s capability to mix muscle with mid-engine finesse, hinting at the performance cars to come. In the end, it was a tantalizing taste of a Ford that wasn’t afraid to experiment, to push the boundaries, and to aim for the stars.