The mfg tag says it was built in Sept 72. With this other concurrently running thread about the clutch effort reduction kit instalation and the posted TB saying installed in production after Sept 1-72, I just looked and it does not appear that my car has it installed.
The extra leg that gets installed normally in the kit doesn't appear to be there but because of the location and lack of access I could be wrong. If you ask my wife, she will likely say without hesitation, that of course Doug is wrong.
Now, I did have the entire pedal foot box plate out of the car because I was extending (spacing it out for more leg room) and in recalling my thought process on this of intending to install the kit, I didn't. I seem to think it is because I discovered that it is already on the car.
Thought processes being what they are, in particularly mine, that is no guaranty of anything. But back to the model year.
In all title states in the US, the title is issued to the first owner with submitting an MSO. A Manufacturers Statement of Origin.
On this document that once you give to the DMV, you no longer see ever again, is the cars serial number, and the model year.
In my case as in all cases in the US, the DMV issues the model year from that MSO. The manufacturer is the only one that can alter that and is the one that determines that.
Before I go to Kevin Marti on this one, what he has is the official Ford records on this car as to how, when and where it was sold the first time new in the US.
It won't tell the owners first name, it will indicate the selling dealer.
I place my bet on it being sold as a '73 model because of all of this.
This is the prerogative of the manufacture. THEY are the ONLY ones that can determine assign the serial number to the car OR the model year. As such, regardless of the accuracy and the intention of your documentation, it just becomes hearsay evidence since in these years Detomaso is a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company and it is Ford that determines all of this.
I will agree with you FIGURATIVELY that it is a 72-1/2, but LITERALLY I'll bet you a nickle that it is a '73?
Again...this is nothing I'm going to get my nose out of joint about though, so don't sweat it.