Picture courtesy Robert Conner/Nov. 1970 - digitally modified by the author

Picture thanks to www.McLellansAutomotive.com, a great source for any Ford Enthusiast.
Special thanks goes to Rob and Sharon McLellan for sharing this rare original Ford pic with us.


Grand Central Palace 1970, Picture  Ed Milano. Reason for the shot was the family name only. 
Picture appeared first on www.ponytales.org

Picture ex-Robert de la Rive Box-archive/W.Kohrn collection

The after-show press kit sent out by Ford Media in late1970
Picture McLellansAutomotive.com

"The Pony car Ford should have built" wrote famous Mustang Illustrated Editor Bob McClurg in a noteworthy article in a July 1997 issue.
The author speculated that the car might have been an idea out of the newly acquired Ghia studios in Turin or a 1974 Mustang-based Torino that was dumped in favour of the later Pinto approach.

Shelby historian Wallace Wyss (Shelby's Wildlife) also once published an article and thinks the concept might have been an early study for the 69 Shelby or a contemporary. He also mentions the front end might have been done with the same Owens-Corning front end fibreglass sections. "It was slick...but just for show" Wallace said.

We think none of the mentioned 2 concept connections is true due to the date and the mentioning of the 1971 standard Mustang in the press release. Paging through the Gary L. Witzenburg documentation (published in 1979 with Automobile Quarterly staff) you'll notice a number of concept cars that resemble the Milano and those are clearly early 1971 model studies. So we'd rather see this as a true Ford Advanced Styling studio concept that was shown like the Mustang I as a teaser in early 1971 and later as a milestone of a significant design change in the lines of the Mustang body during the year. Since the press release is one of those from Nov. 1970, it's clear it mentions the 1971 standard Mustang.

What can be however most certainly confirmed is that the Mustang Milano was crushed after the show like so many concept cars back then.
Jeff Burgy, famous Mustang historian and the one, who unearthed the Cougar II and Bordinat Cobra concept cars in 2004, also former Ford illustrator, met with Ford designers and infomed us that the Milano has most probably went to the crusher acc. to his sources. 
 
More details coming soon.

For a rare additional shot of the Mustang Milano and his latest 2006 project - a scale Mustang Milano, 
see car model expert Bob Sifferds page

We've yet to find additional shots from you - our readers - from the February to November touring shows. 
Right now it seems Ed Milano was the only one who took a snapshot in 1970 with his 9 year old son at the Grand Central Palace in New York. (www.ponytales.org)

Thanks to Mark Gustavson's archive  we've got the original press release on the Milano shown here:

Ford News Release
Public Relations Ford Division
P.O.Box 1509, Dearborn, Mich.48121

Mustang Milano
For immediate release
One of the most popular experimental cars in Ford Divisions's automobile show exhibit is the Mustang Milano, an ultra-violet-colored, two-paint grand touring car. Sure to be one of the most looked-at cars, the Milano features a low, racy design and unique tailgate that raises electrically.

Named for Milan, Italy, where a number of sporty touring cars roam the countryside, the Milano, at 43 inches high, is seven inches lower than a standard 1971 Mustang SportsRoof.

The hood contains NASA-type air scoops -- adapted from a highly efficient aeronautic design -- for power-producing ram-air induction. 

The headlamps and high-powered driving lights are concealed when not in use and th winshield is steeply ranked to a 67-degree angle.

The uniquely-designed rear deck lid, complete with built-in air spoiler is similar to tailgates on some European station wagons. Hinged at the top, the deck lid and backlite open electrically just above the taillights to provide easy accessability to the luggage compartment.

Laced cast aluminum wheels are similar to but stronger than wire wheels used on grand touring cars of the 1920's and 1930's. Wide F60 x 15 tires were designed and built by Firestone especially for this show car.

Milano's ultra violet paint is colour-keyed to the car's interior. The high-back bucket seats have blue-violet fabric inserts and light purple leather trim. Deep purple mohair carpet adds to the luxury look.
The carpeted rear area of this two seater carries colour-keyed luggage fabricated from the same leather used in the seat trim.