History of the great Ford Mustang

As far as the consumer is concerned, the story of the great Ford Mustang began when it was shown to the public at the World’s Fair in New York. Prototypes had been around since 1962, and the Mustang 1 (T-5) was first introduced to the world of motorsports at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix, where Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney each drove it for a few stretches as a demo.

In the early 1960s, Ford desperately needed a new car to compete with the Chevrolet Corsair Monza sports car, and its first attempt, the Falcon Future, flopped. A new car was needed and the idea for the Mustang was born. It was sporty and fast and a four-seater. It was attractive to young people and the concept car was well received when it was shown on auto racing circuits.

It went into production in 1964 and was an instant success. Its launch on April 17, 1964, was the start of what would become the most popular car in American history, selling half a million in its first year. Her clients included all ages and she was equally popular with men and women.

Many of its parts were taken from the failed Falcon, and its immediate success had as much to do with the near-perfect advertising campaign as it did with looks and speed. The advertising power of the three major television networks was used extensively, and with its distinctive mane and tail galloping across America’s red, white and blue, the ‘Pony Car’ was the phenomenon of its day, representing the flavor of the 1960s more perfectly. than its designers could ever have dreamed possible.

It was a car of its time that came at the perfect time. Later called the 1964 1/2, the original Mustang was available as a convertible and coupe, both with chrome wraparound fenders, the distinctive chrome grille with a running pony, and an elongated hood. Although it claimed to have four seats, the rear seat was a bit small and also sported three taillights on each side. It has sold a million in 1966, although the GT and fastback model had been introduced before.

The car continued to progress, and by the late 1960s it had become four inches longer and much heavier than the original, largely in response to Chevrolet’s development of the Firebird and Pontiac. However, it was the Corvette that brought the Mustang into the field of road racing. The Mustang was so popular, especially among young people, that Ford was desperate to compete against the Corvette. However, only production two-seaters were allowed to compete, and to enable them to do this, at least 100 two-seaters had been produced by January 1965.

This was accomplished with the help of Mustang fan and racer Carol Shelby, who modified 100 of the 2+2 models into GT 350 models, retooling them in the process to make them more suitable for racing. Suspension, wheels and brakes were modified, and the cars would become the basis for many future models that are, even now, highly sought after.

In the early 1970s, the Mustang got a little lost and too big and unwieldy. The original grace and enthusiasm that so appealed to early admirers was lost and it became

just another car. Part of this was due to emissions regulations, but sales fell so low that Ford had to rethink its design strategy with the Mustang.

The Mustang II was introduced in 1974, and although it was small and underpowered, it holds its place in automotive history because it halted the decline in sales. It was sold because of fuel economy and the 1973 OPEC fuel embargo. People were afraid a gas guzzler would hurt their pockets, so they temporarily opted for the smaller car. This didn’t last long, however, and 1975 brought the V8 engine back to the Mustang. However, although it had a 5-litre engine, the carb was too small and the catalytic converter combined with it to render it lifeless.

Then came a period of relative stability, although there were some equipment changes. Fans must have seen the end coming because the late 1970s saw a slight rise in sales, rather than the drop the model now deserved. The Cobra II and King Cobra versions did little to spark a return to the glory days of the 1960s, and Ford made a last-ditch attempt to rewrite the Mustang in 1979. The new Mustang was available as a coupe or fastback with a little more interior space than the original or the ill-fated Mustang II.

However, the running horse was gone and the taillights lost their distinctive three segments: this expanded to six, while the side scallop was also gone. He no longer looked like a Mustang! Modifications continued to be made, and the California Highway Patrol found a use for a special coupe model as a high-speed pursuit vehicle. With its 157 HP V8 engine, this car was used by various law enforcement officers until 1993, when Ford killed them.

The fans were wrong, however, and development continued as the Mustang adjusted to the advent of fuel injection, airbags, and other essential improvements, even though the original concept had disappeared entirely. In 2005, Ford finally ditched the old Fox platform and introduced the one now used for the Lincoln and Thunderbird. The newer Mustang has returned to some of the original features, and it’s a miracle the car has survived this long.

No one involved in the 1962 development team would have believed that the great Ford Mustang would still be around 45 years later.