Topic: Interesting Black Mach1. My high-school friend ordered a 70 4spd R-Code Mach1

[QikBBStang]

My friend would not "race" it till he had 1,000 miles on it so we were out putting miles on it.   We were cruising Hempstead, Long Island  one night and a guy (LOL still recall the guys name was Ritchie) comes up all excited that he'd just ordered the same CJ Mach1 Mustang except his would have the Drag Pack and his car was going to be black.. We met the guy a week later and he informed us the Ford Dealer had called and said" Ford would not make the car in black", so he also got his in red as was my friends CJ.
    To this day I've always wondered why FoMoCo would not do that car in black?.......... Was it just on Mach1s?........... Who knows? ..........
  I'll spell it clearly. Black obviously was available until a certain time (we all know there were black Mustangs & Mach1s and the Dealership wrote the order for it) unless the guy made up the "no black paint" story which just makes no sense or who knows what?).  The guy did show up with a Red SCJ Drag Pack Mach 1 not long after. Who knows why FoMoCo would say no more black Mach1s? or maybe it was all Mustangs at some point in the year? .......... The guy with his Red SCJ took pride in burning rubber all the way down the street out of the dealership (no break-in at all) My friend with  his identical Red R-code 428 Mach 1 3.50:1 CJ beat the SCJ when they street raced that first night. I equate it to the SCJs gearing blowing the tires off (the new owner's not knowing how to drive more than likely) or long shot the lack of engine break in.. I do know the SCJ owner blew his motor up within 6 months and sold his SCJ Mach1 with the blown motor CHEAP!.

[J_Speegle]

Looking at 70 Mach I Marti reports I have copies of there were almost 900 black ones built

[jwc66k]

-  We were cruising Hempstead, Long Island  one night and a guy (LOL still recall the guys name was Ritchie) comes up all excited that he'd just ordered the same CJ Mach1 Mustang except his would have the Drag Pack and his car was going to be black.. We met the guy a week later and he informed us the Ford Dealer had called and said" Ford would not make the car in black", so he also got his in red as was my friends CJ.

I would be more inclined to believe the dealership "just happened" to have a red 70 CJ Mach I in stock and would let it go at a fabulous price (just to meet the monthly sales quota). Dealership don't make as much on special order cars, and looking at other dealerships' inventory is time consuming. Those were the stories I got in 64, 66, 69 and 73 on my special orders from Ford.
Jim   

[QikBBStang]

Seriously doubt many R-code, 4spd, Drag Packs we're ever laying around anywhere in whole US let alone LI NY ",,,,,, darn the customer wants an R-code, 4spd, Drag Pack in BLACK,,,,". " Hey Joe there's a RED R-code, 4spd, Drag Pack in the back lot!"   No kidding they didn't make much on special orders my high school friends cost him : Mach1 1970 R-code, AM/FM Tape, Rear Spoiler & Slats, 3.50:1 Trac Loc, PS/PB 4spd w/wheel covers $4,100 out the door... I wonder in 70 were they still making Mustang's in NJ?

[J_Speegle]

Seriously doubt many R-code, 4spd, Drag Packs we're ever laying around anywhere in whole US let alone LI NY ,,,,,, darn the customer wants an R-code, 4spd, Drag Pack it in BLACK............ I wonder in 70 were they still making Mustang's in NJ?

Drag Pak cars were in general slow sellers, many sat for a while unless there was a buyer who placed an order. Think gearign and by 70 the gas mileage concerns played a part in it.

One of the reasons that a high percentage of the 69 Shelbys that were converted to 70 models were Drag-Paks

And yes they built Mustangs into 1971 production at NJ

[69RavenConv]

I have read (but can't confirm) that Ford didn't offer Mach 1's in black because the company's vision was for a brightly colored car with distinctive black accents. Obviously, the black accents are somewhat diminished on a black car. Assuming this is true (again, I don't know that it is), black would have been a special order, making the dealer's comment a half-truth - Ford didn't offer it, you had to order it.

[J_Speegle]

I have read (but can't confirm) that Ford didn't offer Mach 1's in black because the company's vision was for a brightly colored car with distinctive black accents. ...............

Are your speaking of 69's rather than 70?  In 70 they offered white scoops and hood stripes

[69RavenConv]

No, I was thinking of both years. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the white accents were a special order item as well. So it would be in line with the distinction between what Ford offered "off the rack" vs what you could special order if you really wanted it. Of course, the whole theory is all hearsay and may be complete hooey, so take it for what it's worth.

[J_Speegle]

No, I was thinking of both years. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the white accents were a special order item as well. So it would be in line with the distinction between what Ford offered "off the rack" vs what you could special order if you really wanted it. Of course, the whole theory is all hearsay and may be complete hooey, so take it for what it's worth.

You have all sorts/types of order. Maybe your confusing special order, a specific process to order something that is not a regular production option (RPO) and customer orders, which was still a large percentage of orders in 1970 where the customer choose, placed and order and waited for delivery. 

In 70 black exterior on a Mach I and or the white options details appear to be just another box or two to check on the order form from what I'm  seeing.

Having your car painted a non-RPO color such as Forest Green would have required a special order, the proper order forms, color identification number from the fleet color book and an additional charge.  Have owned a number of this sort of car over the years. Last one being a 1970. So maybe this is just a misuse of terms rather than a disagreement on what was available


The Marti reports I have copies of don't show a special order DSO on them and the ones I've been close to didn't either.

To illustrate this here are two Marti reports for 1970 Mach I's


First a black exterior car - notice no Special order DSO listed on the door tag area nor a mention in the list of options. Ordered with black hood details also





Second example is for a white stripe and scoop car. Notice again no special order was indicated nor apparently needed for this order

[69RavenConv]

Thanks for the informative response, Jeff. I think in light of the evidence presented, we can discount the rumor I heard and repeated here. It seems apparent that Ford was happy to build a Mach 1 in any color available for Mustangs that year. Dark colors  - and white accents in 1970 - were regular production options, and not special orders as I had premised. As you pointed out, non-Mustang colors were special orders but that's not what we're discussing here.

So back to the OP,  it appears any dealer could have ordered a black Mach 1, either for inventory or at a customer's request, and the story that "Ford won't make it" is simply not true, or even half-true