The Mustang was never intended to be in league with Vettes and Vipers. It was described by Lee Iaccoca as "a secretaries car". It was a fun little 4 seater that just about anyone could afford, but it could also be optioned out to be a badass at the track. I always get a kick out of people who rip on the Mustang II, when in fact, that car had more of the spirit of the originals than the Torino based 71-73 behemoths that directly preceded it. I've told this story before, but... my dad was a mechanic. Worked at Ford dealerships. It wasn't uncommon for him to come home for the night in a customer's car for a final test drive. One day when I was about 7 or 8, it was a Acapulco blue, '68 GT convertible with a big block 390. Only this time, he handed me a screwdriver and a pair of license plates.
It was my mom's birthday present! Good times. Love those cars.
Sadly, this is the only photo I have.
And my current ride (with a friend's bass).