I really love the 1971-1973 Mustang Sportsroof. With the right engine, it was a strong performance car with crazy styling mixed with increased comfort. I like to think of these as true GT cars that offer comfort, cool styling, and performance that would make a high-speed cross-country trip easy and fun. As a result, when one of these comes up on AutoHunter, I try to jump on it to promote it. If it is one of the more rare versions of the Sportsroof, then I am even more inclined to feature it. That’s why today’s AutoHunter Spotlight car is a 1972 Ford Mustang Sportsroof Sprint.
The keyword is Sprint. To commemorate the 1972 Olympics, Ford created a special option for the Mustang called the Sprint edition. The A option group included special red, white, and blue exterior paint, USA graphics on the rear quarter panels, accent stripes, a color-keyed front bumper, a color-keyed tail panel with accent stripe, color-keyed wheel covers with trim rings, hood stripes, vinyl bucket seats with white bolsters and blue cloth inserts, color-keyed racing mirrors, and E70x14 whitewall bias-ply tires. Option B added everything from group A plus a competition suspension, F60x15 raised-white-letter tires, and Magnum 500 wheels.
Yes, this 1972 Mustang Sportsroof Sprint is now wearing white paint with black stripes. That being said, it is a real 1972 Sprint, according to the included Marti Report. The document also states that this car is a real A-code Mustang Sportsroof Sprint that was equipped with a 351ci V8 with a two-barrel carb and an automatic transmission.
The exterior of this Mustang appears to be in good shape, although it is missing its blue stripes and accents. If I bought this car, I might consider bringing it back to its correct exterior color scheme.
The interior has also been changed. The vinyl bucket seats now have standard black vinyl seat covers. I would definitely replace those with the correct Sprint covers, as they are available for less than $1,000. The white door cards are correct (and I am guessing original). The black armrests are not, but they are easily replaceable. I would also replace the black carpeting with the correct blue carpeting because it looks really cool.
Under the hood is a Ford 351ci V8 with a Holley four-barrel carburetor, an aftermarket aluminum intake manifold, an aftermarket air cleaner, MSD ignition, and Ford Racing aluminum valve covers. I would probably leave this alone, with the exception of the air cleaner. I would also ask the seller if the engine is original to this car to properly set my high bid number. If it is the original engine block, then the value goes up.
These Mustang Sprints are really neat cars and stand out in their original livery. I remember seeing them in dealers as a kid and thinking they looked cool. I saw another one (a convertible) about 15 years ago at a Barrett-Jackson auction and loved the color scheme.
Yes, this car is not in its original color scheme and it has had some modifications done over the years. This is pretty normal for a car as old as this Mustang. Also, it is good to remember that for several years, 1971-1973 Mustangs were not seen as top collector cars. That has changed over the past five years or so. These cars are also rare, with a total of only 9,383 Mustang Sprint cars built. Of those, only 1,908 were Sportsroof option A cars; only 1,471 of those were equipped with the two-barrel 351 V8 like this one was. To me, this car is worth a bid or two to get a cool and rare Mustang that you can enjoy as you gradually bring it back to what it looked like originally. If you feel the same way, I would advise you to place your bid soon because the auction for this 1972 Ford Mustang Sportsroof Sprint ends on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 11:15 a.m. (PDT).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
