 Ford downsized the Mustang to an all new 1974 Ford Mustang II subcompact based on the Pinto that was designed for an era of high gas prices and fuel shortages resulting in 385,993 units produced for the model year.Mercury upsized the Cougar to an intermediate-sized personal luxury car to compete with the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix.Other changes included Chrysler Corporation discontinuing the Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger during the course of the 1974 model year.