Cars We Remember / Collector Car Corner; What car could be considered the ‘Grandfather’ of the pony cars?

By Greg Zyla —

Q: Most of us motorheads consider the 1964 Pontiac Tempest/Lemans the father of the muscle car craze. However, what vehicle could be considered the grandfather of the pony cars?

In my humble opinion, it is the Corvair.

“Ouch,” I sensed a lot of raised eyebrows and head shaking from our family of autoholics. Let me explain my reasoning.

After WWII, returning troops talked fondly about some of the cars they saw and possibly drove while in Europe, including the VWs, Fiats, maybe even the Porsche. These cars were small, lightweight, rear-engine, independent rear suspension, and handled well on tight and narrow European roads. They were like driving an oversized go-kart, fast and nimble.

Back in the USA, only large ‘boxy’ cars were still being mass-produced. In the mid to late 50’s some of these European cars were being imported stateside, and American auto manufacturers took notice of these smaller, yet nimble cars gaining in popularity.

At GM, the most celebrated car designer, Harley Earl, had already made automotive history by introducing the Corvette in 1953. Earl’s entire design team became forward-thinking. They pushed the envelope on car designs. Thinking outside the box, these designers started with a clean sheet to build a car with the same appeal as “Fast and Nimble” European cars.

These new American design cars had to be lightweight, rear-engine, independent rear suspension, unibody construction, and seating for four passengers. In the mid 50’s right on through the 70’s, to actually design a new car included approvals, setting up suppliers, securing more approvals, etc., which took a long time, usually four to five years or longer.

The GM team, meanwhile, launched the Corvair in 1960! No other manufacturer had any similar offering. The folks at Ford knew the Corvair would be well received and would need to offer a similar vehicle. Ford engineers quickly hand-built an all-aluminum body, rear engine four-cylinder, with seating for two as a Roadster style car. It was called Allegra.

In 1962, race driver Dan Gurney debuted the car by making a few laps around the Watkins Glen road course. Although only a few of the Alegra cars were built, Lee Iacocca, Ford VP, saw potential. However, with seating for only two, it would be challenging to market to young families. The “No Roof” design would also severely limit it to just a few geographic markets. So, the car had to be enlarged and have full roof coverage. Henry Ford II was skeptical of introducing an all-new Ford, as Ford Motor Company had just lost millions of dollars on the failed Edsel.

Going forward, Ford needed a car that could capture the young family market with seating for four and could be assembled quickly using off the shelf parts from the Falcon. The Allegra, soon to be called the Mustang, would begin to take shape for a mid 1964 launch. The Mustang became an overnight success by establishing all kinds of sales records. The Mustang was soon referred to as the Pony car. Soon, other manufacturers were building their version of a ‘Pony’ car to compete with the Mustang. 

In conclusion, it could be argued that the Corvair was the ‘Grandfather’ of the pony car craze. Without the Corvair, there would not have been the Allegra that eventually became the Mustang. 

Sincerely, Randy Lawton, Mifflinville, Pa.

A: Randy, you sure did your research on the concept car Ford Allegra. By the time it appeared at Watkins Glen, Ford executives were referring to it as the Ford Mustang I Concept! This groundbreaking prototype was introduced by Ford in October 1962 at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York. It was a sleek, two-seater sports car with an aluminum body, mid-mounted V4 engine, and independent suspension. The car was designed to showcase Ford’s innovation and performance capabilities.

Gurney, the legendary race car driver, took the Mustang I for a demonstration lap at Watkins Glen, reaching speeds of over 100 mph. This debut marked the beginning of the Mustang legacy, even though the production Mustang that followed in 1964 was quite different from this prototype.

There was an update to the Allegra with a hardtop in 1963, but by then it was full speed ahead on the 1964 1/2 Mustang, and that was the end of the Allegra.

This Allegra story reminds me of a story I did on the Chevy Cadet, a prototype so close to mass production until it was pulled at the 12th hour in 1947. You can find this story with a quick Google search if interested.

Ford Anglia memories

Q: Greg, I’m 83 now and don’t have a computer, so I’ll ask if you could give a quick history of the Ford Anglia? I owned one and remember it as a great car. Sam L., Spokane, Washington.

A: Sam, the Ford Anglia was a small family car produced by Ford United Kingdom from 1939 to 1967. Over the years, it went through several design changes, with the most iconic being the 105E model (1959–1968), known for its distinctive backward-slanted rear window and compact design. If you’re a drag racer, forget about the 1962 model, as the Anglia from the 1950s are the most popular.

During its production years, the Ford Anglia was primarily sold in the UK and other international markets, but it wasn’t officially available at Ford dealerships in the United States. However, some enthusiasts imported the car privately, so you might have seen some on American roads back in the day.

The Anglia’s quirky design and compact size made it a standout, especially the 105E model with its backward-slanted rear window.

After its production ended, the Anglia was succeeded by the Ford Escort, which became a hugely popular model. Today, Anglia holds a special place in automotive history and is cherished by classic car enthusiasts and drag racing fans. It’s also gained pop culture fame as the flying car in the Harry Potter series.

Thanks for your letters, Sam and Randy!

(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist who welcomes reader interaction on collector cars, auto nostalgia, or motorsports at extramile_2000@yahoo.com.)