1970 Ford Mustang Convertible

This wonderful 1970 Ford Mustang convertible is finished in metallic green, a colour few of us would have chosen back in the day but one that works perfectly with half-a-century’s distance, especially with that Mach 1 bonnet and front and rear wing-mounted air ducts.

It sounds the business too thanks to that five-litre V8 engine under the bonnet. Registered here in the UK fifty years ago, we understand that the previous owner had it in his care for 13+ years; previously part of a private classic car rental project, it had to be kept in tip-top condition so as not to let its thrilled customers down, so it really is a no-expense-spared example that runs as well as it looks.

Power steering and an automatic gearbox plus that awesome convertible roof make this the ultimate drop-top pony muscle car – and it comes to you with a very sensible reserve just in time for you to enjoy the coming summer heatwave.

The combination of some well-judged extras like the bonnet scoop and pins plus the air ducts in all four wings lift an already good example into the stratosphere; ultra-cool anyway, bodywork and a respray in an original metallic green has left it looking utterly stunning.

The extensive chromework is good too, as are the badges, light lenses, and glazing. It’s a very ‘together’ car and looks right from every angle with straight and undamaged panels, good alignment, and neat shutlines. Yellow spot lamps in the front grille too, for the win.

Of course, chromed five-spoke, 14-inch wheels from the appropriately named Supreme Wheels help and they’re shod with tall 195R14 Kumho tyres on the back and 185R14 from the same firm on the front.

Y’all are probably tired of reading how much importance we place on matching, high-quality tyres like this but it really is an infallible guide to the sort of person you’re buying from; if they go to the trouble and expense of fitting matching rubber then you can be sure they’re almost certainly unusually mechanically sympathetic and so the sort of person you want to buy a classic car from.

The black folding roof looks terrific and while it isn’t quite to Mazda MX-5 in its operation or overall fit ‘n’ finish it’s as good as any we’ve seen on a car of this period and is in a good condition, furling and unfurling as it should.

The bodywork isn’t perfect. Aside from the inevitable stonechips and minor marks any classic will accumulate over the years no matter how well it is looked after, there are some other areas you might like to fettle as and when money and motivation collide: there’s a tiny bit of rust on a seam (#133), and the repairs to the offside sill could have been done more neatly (#103) ditto the nearside rear quarter (#136).

Cars like this are as much about the cockpit as the exterior and this one is more than capable of cashing the cheque the coachwork has written: the wonderfully dished wooden steering wheel, chromed floor-mounted gearchange, and a pair of black vinyl front seat strike an appropriately sporting note.

More lovely details reveal themselves on closer inspection including a ‘V8’ badge on the rear of the centre console, and a suite of simple gold-rimmed and deeply inset gauges for the alternator charge, oil pressure, fuel level, coolant temperature, speed and engine revs give you all the information you need and nothing that you don’t.

Plenty of beautifully designed chrome controls too plus a period push-button radio to to play Springsteen softly as your loved one snuggles up to you as you watch the sun sink below the horizon and the tide roll in.

It’s all in good shape, too. Not perfect but, like the exterior, it’s never going to embarrass you while also being patinated enough that you aren’t going to mind the kids clambering into the back as you take them for a run to the coast with the roof down.

We’ve all bought cars that are too perfect for us to be able to relax and enjoy using them as they were designed for – and we’ve all bought old dogs thinking we can do them up on the cheap to save a few quid. This one is neither, instead straddling the line between pristine and dishevelled with carefully judged aplomb. (That’s a compliment, by the way…)

The cylinder heads were rebuilt in 2015 by Hilltop Motors and the starter motor was replaced at the same time. The same year saw more than £3,000 being spent on repairing and strengthening the sills, while Hilltop Motors also fitted a new fuel tank and, two years later, racked up a bill for another £732 on miscellaneous fettling. It then went to the same garage for an MOT and oil change in 2019 (£200).

Prior to that there’s a nifty spreadsheet tallying up the maintenance costs from 2003 to 2010; please see slide numbers #269, #270, and #271 for details of what the £12,000 was spent on!

What else can we say other than it starts on the button, idles perfectly, and sounds like Tom Jones passing an otter at full chat.

The engine bay is beautifully finished without being over the top and it looks like it would be easy to keep in this condition without deterring you from driving for fear of getting it dirty; any well-presented classic has to balance these competing demands and this one manages it better than most we see.

The underside is a bit grubby but that’s okay too because it looks solid and free of the sort of rust, rot and corrosion that’s killed so many pony cars like this over the years.

The Mustang’s MOT certificate is valid until August 2021. It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a thick folder full of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

The price of Ford Mustangs is starting to reflect their scarcity, driven in large part by the availability of the modern Mustang in right-hand-drive form. Almost invariably a discretionary purchase, many owners of the modern version are starting to seek out original examples as an interesting counterpoint to their daily driver.

And remember, the convertible Mustang is the rarest of the rare; while Ford built more than 190,000 Mustangs in 1970, just 7,000 of them were convertibles - and almost none ended up over here...

With the price of excellent ‘Stangs reaching £35,000 and more, we have set the guide price for this one between £21,000 and £28,000, a figure that reflects its fine mechanical condition while also acknowledging the need for a little TLC now and then to keep it looking this sharp and running this well.

Viewing is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.