Martini Mustang makes more with less weight

The Martini Mustang is based on a supposition.

“Suppose Ford executives had a chance business meeting with the owner of Martini Racing,” wondered Steve Strope, founder of Pure Vision Designs in Simi Valley, Calif. “This meeting could have taken place during a European F1 or rally race, perhaps. During the conversation, Ford expressed an interest in racing the Mustang in Europe more since the Mustang's 1-2 finish at the 1964 Tour de France.”

We're following this, we believe it could have happened. Strope said the Ford execs would have wanted real-world testing of the Indy 4-cam V8 engine that powered Jim Clark's Indy 500 car. This could have happened, couldn't it? It's plausible, right?

So that's what Strope did.

He put in a 300-cubic-inch Indy 4-cam V8 of the kind used in Clark's race car, with aluminum block and magnesium covers, magnesium oil pan and gorgeous polished aluminum velocity stacks piled atop each cylinder. The resulting engine weighs just 300 pounds and makes 425 hp at 7,000 rpm. It might make more at higher revs but Strope hasn't run it any higher yet.

The CR Racing “NASCAR-prepped” four-speed manual transmission weighs just 63 pounds.

Add a tricked out rear suspension, Plexiglas windows, generous use of fiberglass to “add lightness,” and you have not only a promising setup but something that could well have been period-correct, down to the Clark-specific magnesium knock-off wheels.

Strope finished it off in Martini Racing colors.

“I always loved the Martini livery,” Strope said at the car's unveiling at the SEMA show.

It's a surprising mix of European sports and American muscle car. But Strope grew up near Watkins Glen and saw more than his share of European race cars. He was also within commuting distance of the drag races at Englishtown. Throw in a few rallies and you begin to understand where the idea came from.

You can see other Strope creations at his Web site, purevisiondesigns.com.

By Mark Vaughn