One of Just 6,000: 1972 Ford Mustang Convertible Hits the Market

Ford’s Mustang had come a long way from its 1965 origins by the time the 1972 models arrived. Over roughly seven years the pony car had swelled in both dimensions and heft, gaining as much as 800 pounds — a growth spurt that would finally be answered by the smaller Mustang II in 1974. Convertible output for 1972 was notably thin: just over 6,000 drop-tops left the factory, making open-air examples a small slice of overall production.

That scarcity gives added weight to a clean 1972 Mustang convertible currently listed for sale in Kuna, Idaho, with an asking price of $24,000. The car presents well in the photos supplied, with tidy body panels, paint, stripes, roof and interior — though the seller offers little in the way of documentation or history, and mileage is listed only as a 1,111 placeholder. Under the hood sits a 351-cubic-inch Cleveland V8 fed by a two-barrel carburetor, paired with an automatic transmission.

Context matters here. Mustang sales had been sliding for five straight years heading into 1971, when volume settled around 150,000 units. The largely carryover 1972 cars shed another 25,000 sales, before a modest rebound of roughly 10,000 units followed in 1973. Ford’s decision to bring the compact Mustang II to market proved well timed, arriving alongside the OPEC oil embargo — and sales climbed back toward the heights the mid-1960s cars had enjoyed.

Performance-wise, the 1972 cars were entering the era of detuning, but the 351 Cleveland still delivered respectable output by the standards of the day. Enthusiasts have long noted that these convertibles carry considerable body flex, which limits how much extra power can sensibly be added — they were built as comfortable cruisers rather than canyon carvers. With the original convertible population representing well under five percent of total production, a solid, presentable example at this price point stands out.

Potential buyers should note the limited photo coverage and the absence of a stated history. The seller describes the car as a good runner on good tires and makes no mention of outstanding work awaiting the next owner — but as always with long-distance purchases, an inspection before money changes hands is the sensible route. For someone chasing a rare open-top pony car with a small-block V8 and an automatic, this one merits a closer look.