There seems to be considerable confusion about what 2+2 means when discussing a fastback. I've heard a lot of people think that it means that a fastback has a sport deck and point to the fact that the '65 and '66 fastbacks were given "2+2" badging and all of them came with a sport deck. For '67, the sport deck was optional and the badging was gone. So, this loose correlation is erroneously taken by a large number of people that I run into to identify what a "2+2" is. However, the sport deck has absolutely nothing to do with the marker. The badging doesn't have anything to do with the marker, either. Mustangs were marked with "F-O-R-D" across the hood from '65 until '67. In '68, the "F-O-R-D" badging was removed (added back in '74 for the II) Does this mean that 1968 through 1973 Mustangs were not Fords? Of course not! I believe that noticing that Ford dropped the "2+2" badging for '68 should be considered with the same line of thinking.
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To add, the sport deck did not disappear in '67 and '68; it was just converted to an option although choosing this option did not get your '67 or '68 badged as a "2+2." This adds considerable confusion to answering exactly what Ford meant when they unveiled the fastback specifically labeled as a "2+2." Perhaps Ford meant something unconventional with their meaning and perhaps they explicitly called it out with the focus of it having a double meaning...that their fastback was a 2+2 in the conventional sense while also being somewhat unique in that you could fold down the rear seat and convert it to a 2 seater, while also being able to unfold the rear seat and optionally seat 2 in the rear when you needed to. The definitive answer to the question of the true driving force behind Ford explicitly marketing their 2+2 fastback as a 2+2 fastback is most likely lost to history unless someone with first hand knowledge of the marketing decision can shed some light on the subject. However, what we do know is that "2+2" has an explicit meaning that extends beyond any custom usage that Ford used for the fastback. For the purposes of this thread, I hope to clarify exactly what 2+2 means in the greater sense and demonstrate how Ford's "2+2" fastback is a 2+2 in the broader sense of the term, regardless of any nuanced meaning that would be pure conjecture to assume.
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So here is what "2+2" really means (there are 3 major variations):
Variation 1 (The technical definition)
Technically, all Mustangs are 2+2s because they are rear wheel drive vehicles with a fairly large driveshaft tunnel that takes away the third rear seat. There are 2 bucket seats in the front and seating for only 2 in the back rather than the more common rear bench configuration that could seat 3. This is the only hard attribute for calling a vehicle a "2+2." The fact that they are rear wheel drives doesn't impact them being "2+2", per se. But, the driveshaft tunnel that runs longitudinally through the center of the car results in a large hump that impacts the seating arrangement and takes away the possibility for a 3rd rear seat; the fact that they are rear wheel drive impacts the rear seating arrangement. It is the seating arrangement that is being spoken of when calling a vehicle a "2+2."
The Ferrari Mondial was considered to be in the 2+2 configuration in this technical sense of the term. It is a mid-engined car that pushes the seats in the rear very far forward, leaving space for a small bag of groceries in either seat (I'm being facetious, but only slightly. The rear seating is *extremely* tight in a Mondial)
The Porsche 356(and its successor the 911) is in the 2+2 configuration as well. It is a rear-engined car with a large hump between the rear seats that eliminate the possibility for a third rear seat.
Variation 2(Marketing a 4 seat version of a dedicated 2 seater)
The term has also been used more pragmatically to allow a manufacturer to create and market a 4 seat version of a more common, dedicated 2 seater of the same model. (as in, the dedicated 2 seater came first and the 4 seater "2+2" is the new version of it)
Here are a couple of examples of vehicles that fall under this more manufacturer-centric version of the term.
In 1966, Jaguar released a 2+2 version of the Series I E-Type. Prior to '66, the E-Type coupe was a dedicated 2 seater.
In 1967, Lotus released a 2+2 version of the Elan. Prior to '67, the Elan was a dedicated 2 seater.
A 2+2 version of a 2 seater can be introduced by a manufacturer to gain market share in the "young families" market segment and can be used to respond to high insurance premiums found by their 2 seater owners by adding token rear seats for reducing total cost of ownership while maintaining an identical body style to the more expensive to own, 2 seat version.
Variation 3(The loose, colloquial definition)
The "2+2" moniker has no specific requirements other than this "2 seats up front + max of 2 seats in rear" specification but the term has come to loosely include other additional details such as:
>a sweeping, sporty rear roof line that reduces head room to rear passengers
>very little leg room as a result of the positioning of the seats with the roof line
>2 doors
(while still maintaining the 2+2 seating arrangement)
So, in review:
Variation 1: the Mustang fastback is a 2+2 under this variation. It has 2 seats up front + 2 seats in the rear
Variation 2: the Mustang fastback is not a 2+2 under this variation. There is no dedicated Mustang 2 seater produced by Ford
Variation 3: the Mustang fastback is a 2+2 under this variation. It has 2 seats up front +2 seats in the rear, a sweeping, sporty rear roof line, reduced head room to rear passengers, little longitudinal leg room due to the positioning of the seats in relation to the roof line, and 2 doors.
...The Ford Mustang fastback is a "2+2" under both the 1st major variation of the term and the 3rd major variation of the term. The sport deck is not a requirement for it to be considered a 2+2; it's classification as such has nothing to do with the sport deck.
[edit]
To add, the sport deck did not disappear in '67 and '68; it was just converted to an option although choosing this option did not get your '67 or '68 badged as a "2+2." This adds considerable confusion to answering exactly what Ford meant when they unveiled the fastback specifically labeled as a "2+2." Perhaps Ford meant something unconventional with their meaning and perhaps they explicitly called it out with the focus of it having a double meaning...that their fastback was a 2+2 in the conventional sense while also being somewhat unique in that you could fold down the rear seat and convert it to a 2 seater, while also being able to unfold the rear seat and optionally seat 2 in the rear when you needed to. The definitive answer to the question of the true driving force behind Ford explicitly marketing their 2+2 fastback as a 2+2 fastback is most likely lost to history unless someone with first hand knowledge of the marketing decision can shed some light on the subject. However, what we do know is that "2+2" has an explicit meaning that extends beyond any custom usage that Ford used for the fastback. For the purposes of this thread, I hope to clarify exactly what 2+2 means in the greater sense and demonstrate how Ford's "2+2" fastback is a 2+2 in the broader sense of the term, regardless of any nuanced meaning that would be pure conjecture to assume.
[/edit]
So here is what "2+2" really means (there are 3 major variations):
Variation 1 (The technical definition)
Technically, all Mustangs are 2+2s because they are rear wheel drive vehicles with a fairly large driveshaft tunnel that takes away the third rear seat. There are 2 bucket seats in the front and seating for only 2 in the back rather than the more common rear bench configuration that could seat 3. This is the only hard attribute for calling a vehicle a "2+2." The fact that they are rear wheel drives doesn't impact them being "2+2", per se. But, the driveshaft tunnel that runs longitudinally through the center of the car results in a large hump that impacts the seating arrangement and takes away the possibility for a 3rd rear seat; the fact that they are rear wheel drive impacts the rear seating arrangement. It is the seating arrangement that is being spoken of when calling a vehicle a "2+2."
The Ferrari Mondial was considered to be in the 2+2 configuration in this technical sense of the term. It is a mid-engined car that pushes the seats in the rear very far forward, leaving space for a small bag of groceries in either seat (I'm being facetious, but only slightly. The rear seating is *extremely* tight in a Mondial)
The Porsche 356(and its successor the 911) is in the 2+2 configuration as well. It is a rear-engined car with a large hump between the rear seats that eliminate the possibility for a third rear seat.
Variation 2(Marketing a 4 seat version of a dedicated 2 seater)
The term has also been used more pragmatically to allow a manufacturer to create and market a 4 seat version of a more common, dedicated 2 seater of the same model. (as in, the dedicated 2 seater came first and the 4 seater "2+2" is the new version of it)
Here are a couple of examples of vehicles that fall under this more manufacturer-centric version of the term.
In 1966, Jaguar released a 2+2 version of the Series I E-Type. Prior to '66, the E-Type coupe was a dedicated 2 seater.
In 1967, Lotus released a 2+2 version of the Elan. Prior to '67, the Elan was a dedicated 2 seater.
A 2+2 version of a 2 seater can be introduced by a manufacturer to gain market share in the "young families" market segment and can be used to respond to high insurance premiums found by their 2 seater owners by adding token rear seats for reducing total cost of ownership while maintaining an identical body style to the more expensive to own, 2 seat version.
Variation 3(The loose, colloquial definition)
The "2+2" moniker has no specific requirements other than this "2 seats up front + max of 2 seats in rear" specification but the term has come to loosely include other additional details such as:
>a sweeping, sporty rear roof line that reduces head room to rear passengers
>very little leg room as a result of the positioning of the seats with the roof line
>2 doors
(while still maintaining the 2+2 seating arrangement)
So, in review:
Variation 1: the Mustang fastback is a 2+2 under this variation. It has 2 seats up front + 2 seats in the rear
Variation 2: the Mustang fastback is not a 2+2 under this variation. There is no dedicated Mustang 2 seater produced by Ford
Variation 3: the Mustang fastback is a 2+2 under this variation. It has 2 seats up front +2 seats in the rear, a sweeping, sporty rear roof line, reduced head room to rear passengers, little longitudinal leg room due to the positioning of the seats in relation to the roof line, and 2 doors.
...The Ford Mustang fastback is a "2+2" under both the 1st major variation of the term and the 3rd major variation of the term. The sport deck is not a requirement for it to be considered a 2+2; it's classification as such has nothing to do with the sport deck.
, but marketers can put 2+2 on a Yugo station wagon if they so please, and say that it means "too-ugly and too slow" as a joke, and from that day forward, that is what 2+2 would mean for that model of car.
