The Mustang II is really two cars, not one. The slopebacked Mach I is the real Mustang, while the notchback Ghia triggers strong memories of the 1957 Thunderbird. Oddly enough, the sleek, silver Mach I was not the attention getter we had anticipated. Normally, anything with a distinctly new design will draw stares and open mouths, but our silver bullet only attracted the expected interest when viewed from the front. We suspect this has something to do with the car's Pintoesque profile and the fact there are a raft of small sporty-cars around these days.

Ghia was the star of the street show. Not only did we collect stares on the freeway and surface streets, but queries of, "How much?" arose at red light intersections. One observer opined that it looked like a Mercedes 450 SL, which tells you where Ford styling is going.

The Ghia does not have a Mercedes ride, but it does ride like a Mercedes, with good roll control on corners and excellent absorption of small, rough bumps. There is a small thrill when you hit a large bump with the base suspension because the rebound cycle is slow enough to give you some airborne sensation.

Ghia's steering won't get you through the S-drill at Untertverckheim, but it will get you through any corner in the U.S. at legal speed and then some. The rack and pinion steering doesn't need power assist, and the 19.1:1 ratio could be quickened but your wife won't complain. To us, all the power assist does is impart a "dead" feeling.

From the outside, Ghia's well-balanced design pleases this pair of critical eyes, but inside is where it all happens. The seats with contoured backs and bottoms provide excellent support with comfort. Although the priority on seating and leg room is up front, there is enough space in the rear to accommodate even a six- footer for short periods. Ingress and egress to the front is no problem, to the rear you must be aware of the shoulder belt draped over the top of the front seat back. Where car seat head room is adequate in the Ghia, it is definitely tight in the Mach 1.

All around you the signs of elegance subtly create a statement of quality and attention to detail. The bulk of the inside is plastic, but it pretends to be nothing else and it is executed with flair. Cut pile carpeting balances the interior and makes barefoot driving or other vehicular activities more stimulating.

The dash is simulated wood grain with a 6000 rpm tach standard on all models. Naturally there is a speedometer, but additionally, there is an ammeter and temperature gauge to go with the fuel indicator. All of which are standard across the model line. The optional remote right-hand mirror is a must for visibility and no-scrape curb parking.

Our test Ghia had the optional sun roof which could make convertibles obsolete a lot quicker than federal regulations. The manual control handle works easily. With all the windows open and the sun roof retracted, the only time you need the air conditioning unless it's 110 in the shade is after you have left the car closed up on a hot day.

The Ghia came equipped with the C-4 automatic transmission. The 2.8-liter V-6 doesn't really have enough extra power to go with what we expect to be a normal automatic, but the folks at Ford have increased the shift point to an eye-popping 5600 rpm, allowing use of all the horses available. It also will creep through slow traffic at only 1700 rpm without downshifting. The pickup from the low end is poor, but the fuel consumption is minimal.

On our standard economy run which includes city, freeway and suburban streets with a couple of big hills thrown in just for drill, we logged 19.47 mpg in the Mach I with the four-speed stick, which lugs and sputters below 2000 rpm in fourth, and a very pleasing 20.72 mpg in the Ghia with the automatic. Both cars were driven by the same driver using the same technique. If you avoid excessive acceleration with the auto trans, it will give the best fuel economy. However, if you drive it hard, with downshift passes on the highway, mileage drops to between 16 and 17 mpg.

In essence, the Ghia provides believable luxury, with a very comfortable, solid ride. The lack of power can be compensated for by the knowledge that you are getting good gas mileage as well as the fact that some of those high buck imports that combine good ride and handling are also short on power.

Mach I is very much a different car. The three-window hatchback styling denotes sports car. The Mach I interior has leather-like vinyl upholstery. If you have never owned a car with real leather seats, the difference in luxuriousness between what Ford has done in the Mustang II and the genuine article won't mean anything to you.

Our Mach I had the optional Rallye Package suspension which includes adjustable shocks, extra cooling, BR70-13 steel-belted radials, digital clock, limited-slip differential, remote mirrors, and a couple of decor items. The handling suspension is the most important option available. If you have an ounce of spirit flowing in your veins, at least get the competition springs; shocks and stabilizers. Even if you don't really compete and remote mirrors do nothing for you, the suspension will. There is a section of the Santa Ana freeway which was paved by sadists. Each section of concrete droops at its joints and rises in the middle. The effect it creates is called Freeway hop and it will shake the mirrors off a pickup truck, and bring on instant bladder overload in any compact. The Mach I ate the oscillations without a twitch.

As in all things, nothing is perfect, not even a machine as carefully designed and diligently assembled as the Mustang. The biggest and most obvious shortcoming is power. With the auto trans, the lack of power doesn't really offend. We all have become very much resigned to making accommodations for comfort emission control and ease of operation. However, when equipped with the good suspension and the four-speed manual trans, we expected more. Now we know why Ford did not name the fastback the Mach II.

The 2.8 .liter V-6 simply does not have the hustle to go with the image. We were able to spin the tires coming out of the hole at Irwindale Raceway, and even get a slight chirp shifting to second, but there was no pulling power as the tachometer climbed up through the numbers.

Zero to sixty times of 14.2 seconds are about five seconds on the wrong side of hustle. Passing speeds of 6.2 seconds for 40-60 mph and 8.1 seconds for 50-70 mph are slow.

We also found a couple of items for the Ford engineers to think about. The brake pedal felt very mushy. We got good stops, 23 ft from 30 mph and 133 ft from 60 mph, but there is little feel in the pedal. The clutch on the stick shift has the same lack of crisp feeling. This may not bother you but it did us. Ford's magnificent rack and pinion steering becomes very dead, as mentioned in the centered position with power assist. The left hand door window crank handles rubs the knee at certain seat locations. Ashtray placement is questionable. It seems to be the only place it could be put, but is screened out by the steering wheel and blown into by the center vent. Two of the engine monitor gauges are also screened by the wheel.

The one really glaring fault found in the Mach I was the fact that not one of the pedals lay in the same plane as any of the others. We could slide a foot under the clutch pedal from left to right, completely clearing the top of the brake pedal and hit the throttle with the sole of a shoe. It was an exercise in knee-bumping to climb on top of the clutch, a reach to land on the brake and a conscious effort to go from brake to throttle. To be accurate this lack of attention to simple ergonomics is endemic with most domestic four-speeds but it is still no excuse since the lowliest of economy imports have taken care of this detail long since, and it is one of the points that could keep it from capturing some of the import business.

The other omission that Ford should correct at the earliest opportunity is the fact that there is no adjustment for seat back rake angle. In a car that obviously appeals to personalized motoring, this has to be considered necessary. While the government has standardized everything that can be bolted on or stuffed in a car, posterial and lumbar dimensions remain individual and non-standard.

On the plus side of incidentals, the layout of the engine compartment is tailor made for the shadetree mechanic with plenty of working room around the engine. Easy access has been provided to all normal tuneup items. The ignition and vacuum system components are located against the inside fender panels. This means less time spent on service and less money out of your pocket.

The most welcome discovery of all was the base Mustang. After languishing in the luxury of the Ghia and bang-shifting the Mach I, we slid into the plain-Jane base vehicle. Here lies the real revelation and the answer to the new Mustang's potential success. The base interior is more than adequate, the dash is the same as the high buck layout, the base suspension gets the job done, and best of all, the 2.3 liter 1-4 engine is much stronger than last year's 2.0 liter and considerably quieter. Since you're not really looking for power in this car, the little overhead cammer comes on as a surprise. Rack and pinion steering without power is more than adequate for fine control.

For a base of $2895, plus $110 for a set of radial tires, $59 for an AM radio, and $36 for bumper guards, $3100 total price is a bargain and then some.

The Mustang is an example of what Detroit technology, specifically Ford in this case, can accomplish when properly motivated. The desires of the President of the company is considered to be motivation. The base car handles very well, rides better than anything in its price range, and gives the owner a very distinct sense of luxury. Ghia simply amplifies the qualities of the bare-back pony. Mach I lets you dream of Riverside and the Nurburering. Power is short, but then power is short in most sports luxury cars under ten grand. You won't find anything around that has the Mustang II's ride, handling and certainly the high level of luxury for the price.

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