Sean McFarland
This article was originally published on BBC Autos.
Since its launch at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, the Mustang has rarely wanted for attention. The philosophy was simple: house massive engines in sleek bodies riding on relatively prehistoric suspension systems. With variations that appealed to the casual top-down Sunday driver as well as the speed-obsessed drag kingpin, the Mustang struck a chord. That charm, however, was not contained to the US.
The chiseled lines of the Mustang fastback body style attracted the attention of Norwegian videographer Arnfinn Hushovd. His 1969 Mustang Mach 1 was imported from Florida in 2007 sporting an eye-catching Calypso Coral paintjob. Such a purchase would have been rare in the extreme at the time of the car’s manufacture, an era when European automakers favoured well-handling sports cars with modest power. Their US counterparts were partial to brute force. As a result – and as any viewing of Top Gear will underscore – American sports cars continue to be perceived as a bit vulgar on the Continent.
Though Hushovd’s Mach 1 may stick out in Scandinavia like a hammer in a drawer of scalpels, the owner celebrates the car’s qualities with the above tribute. Granted, the nouveau-disco soundtrack may make Abba blush, but the visuals handily make up for it. Check out 1:30 when the Mustang purrs under the contrasting lights of a Norwegian tunnel.
Sean McFarland 