The
Ford Mustang is an
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufactured by the
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a
compact carA compact car , or small family car , is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini but smaller than or equal to a mid-size car...
. Production began in
Dearborn, MichiganDearborn is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the Detroit metropolitan area and Wayne County, and is the tenth largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 97,775. The city is the hometown of Henry Ford and the world headquarters...
on March 9, 1964 and the car was introduced to the public on April 17, 1964 at the
New York World's FairNew York World's Fair may refer to:* 1939 New York World's Fair* 1964 New York World's Fair...
. It is Ford's second oldest nameplate currently in production next to the
F-SeriesThe F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company sold for over five decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150. It was the best-selling vehicle in the United States for 23 years and has been the best-selling truck for 31 years, though this does not...
pickup truck line. However the F-series pickup truck has undergone major nameplate changes over the years.
The Mustang was Ford's most successful launch since the
Model AThe Ford Model A was the second huge success for the Ford Motor Company, after its predecessor, the Model T. First produced on October 20, 1927, but not sold until December 2, it replaced the venerable Model T, which had been produced for 18 years...
.
Executive stylist John Najjar, who was a fan of the World War II
P-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was a long-range single-seat World War II fighter aircraft. Designed, built and airborne in just 117 days, the Mustang first flew in RAF service as a fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft before conversion to a bomber escort, employed in raids over...
fighter plane, suggested the name. An alternative view was that the Mustang name was first suggested by Robert J. Eggert, Ford Division market research manager. Eggert, a breeder of quarterhorses, received a birthday present from his wife of the book, The Mustangs by J. Frank Dobie in 1960. Later, the book’s title gave him the idea of adding the “Mustang” name for Ford’s new concept car. As the person responsible for Ford’s research on potential names, Eggert added “Mustang” to the list to be tested by focus groups; “Mustang,” by a wide margin, ” came out on top under the heading: “Suitability as Name for the Special Car.”
The Mustang created the "
pony carPony car is an American class of automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964. The term describes an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image. "It was small by Detroit standards, with sporty styling.....
" class of American automobile — sports car-like
coupeA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
s with long hoods and short rear decks — and gave rise to competitors such as GM's
Chevrolet CamaroThe Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by the Chevrolet division of General Motors, classified as a pony car. The "F" Body owes its creation to John Delorean who wanted to build a "sport car" called "Banshee" it was much like the Chevy "vette" but for Pontiac Motor Division, after a...
, AMC's
JavelinThe AMC Javelin was a “pony car” built by the American Motors Corporation between 1968 and 1974.Its production can be classified into two generations: 1968 to 1970 and 1971 to 1974...
, and Chrysler's revamped
Plymouth BarracudaThe Plymouth Barracuda is a 2-door car that was manufactured by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1964 through 1974.The first-generation Barracuda, a fastback A-body coupé based on the Plymouth Valiant, had a distinctive wraparound back glass and was available from 1964 to...
. It also inspired coupés such as the
Toyota CelicaThe Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of popular coupes made by the Japanese company Toyota. The name is ultimately derived from the Latin word coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial"....
and
Ford CapriFord Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three separate automobile models:* The Ford Consul Capri coupé, produced by Ford of Britain between 1961 and 1964* The Ford Capri coupé, produced by Ford Europe from 1969 to 1986...
, which were exported to America.
Mustangs grew larger and heavier with each model year until, in response to the 1971-1973 models, fans of the original 1964 design wrote to Ford urging a return to its size and concept.
Although some other pony cars have seen a revival, the Mustang is the only original
pony carPony car is an American class of automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964. The term describes an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image. "It was small by Detroit standards, with sporty styling.....
that has remained in production without interruption after four decades of development and revision.
First generation (1964 1/2–1973)
As
Lee IacoccaLido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca is an American businessman known for his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s, serving as President and CEO from 1978 and additionally as chairman from 1979, until his retirement at the end of 1992. One of the most famous business people in the world, he was...
's assistant general manager and chief engineer,
Donald N. FreyDonald N. Frey is an innovator in manufacturing and information systems. He is best known as a Ford Motor Company product manager where he supervised the development of the Mustang car in a record 18 months....
was the head engineer for the Mustang project — supervising the overall development of the Mustang in a record 18 months — while Iacocca himself championed the project as Ford Division general manager. The Mustang prototype was a two-seat, mid-mounted engine
roadsterA roadster, also known as a spyder or spider, is a two-seat car, traditionally without either a roof, side or rear windows.Most modern day two-seaters have windows and feature retractable roofs...
. This vehicle employed a Taunus (Ford Germany) V4 engine and was very similar in appearance to the much later Pontiac Fiero. It was claimed that the decision to abandon the 2 seat design was in part due to the low sales experienced with the 2 seat 1955 T-Bird. To broaden market appeal it was later remodeled as a four-seat car styled under the direction of Project Design Chief
Joe OrosJoseph L. Oros was an automobile stylist for Ford Motor Company over a period of 21 years — known as the Chief Designer of the team at Ford that styled the original Mustang, and for his contributions to the 1955 Ford Thunderbird....
and his team of
L. David AshL. David Ash was an automotive stylist who worked variously in the Lincoln, Continental, Edsel and Ford studios at Ford Motor Company. He is known for his contributions to the styling of the Ford Mustang, Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental Mark III — and his innovative work on the...
, Gale Halderman, and John Foster — in Ford's
LincolnLincoln is the luxury brand of Ford Motor Company. Founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland and acquired by Ford in 1922, Lincoln has manufactured vehicles since the 1920s. Leland named the brand after his longtime hero Abraham Lincoln.-History:...
–
MercuryMercury is an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand and Chrysler's namesake brand....
Division design studios, which produced the winning design in an intramural design contest instigated by Iacocca.
Having set the design standards for the Mustang, Oros said:
Oros added:
To cut down the development cost and achieve a
suggested retail priceThe suggested retail price , list price or recommended retail price of a product is the price the manufacturer recommends that the retailer sell it for. The intention was to help to standardize prices among locations...
of
US$The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
2,368, the Mustang was based heavily on familiar yet simple components. Much of the
chassisA chassis consists of a framework that supports an inanimate object, analogous to an animal's skeleton, for example in a motor vehicle or a firearm.- Examples of use :...
,
suspensionSuspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose – contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
, and drivetrain components were derived from the
Ford FalconThe Ford Falcon was an automobile produced by Ford Motor Company from 1960 to 1970. It was manufactured in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico and the USA. It was a huge sales success for Ford initially, handily outselling rival compacts from Chrysler and General Motors introduced at the...
and
Ford Fairlane (North American)The Ford Fairlane was an automobile model sold between 1955 and 1971 by the Ford Motor Company in North America. The name was taken from Henry Ford's estate, Fair Lane, near Dearborn, Michigan....
. Favorable
publicityPublicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject. The subjects of publicity include people , goods and services, organizations of all kinds, and works of art or entertainment.From a marketing perspective, publicity is one component of promotion...
articles appeared in 2,600 newspapers the next morning, the day the car was "officially" revealed. A Mustang also appeared in the James Bond film
GoldfingerGoldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title character. The film was...
in September 1964, the first time the car was used in a movie.
Original sales forecasts projected less than 100,000 units for the first year, but in its first eighteen months, more than one million Mustangs were built. All of these vehicles were
VINA Vehicle Identification Number, commonly abbreviated to VIN , is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles...
-identified as 1965 models, but several changes were made at the traditional opening of the new model year (beginning August 1964), including the addition of back-up lights on some models, the introduction of alternators to replace generators, and an upgrade of the V-8 engine from 260 to 289 cubic-inch displacement. In the case of at least some six-cylinder Mustangs fitted with the 101 hp., 170 cu. in. Falcon engine, the rush into production included some unusual quirks, such as a horn ring bearing the 'Ford Falcon' logo beneath a trim ring emblazoned with 'Ford Mustang.' These characteristics made enough difference to warrant designation of the 121,538 earlier ones as "1964½" model-year Mustangs, a distinction that has endured with purists for the past 45 years and counting.
Second generation (1974–1978)
The 1970s brought about more stringent pollution laws and the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. As a result, large, fuel-inefficient cars fell into disfavor, and the Pony Cars were no exception.
Lee IacoccaLido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca is an American businessman known for his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s, serving as President and CEO from 1978 and additionally as chairman from 1979, until his retirement at the end of 1992. One of the most famous business people in the world, he was...
, who became president of the Ford Motor Company in 1964 and was the driving force behind the original Mustang, ordered a smaller, more fuel-efficient Mustang for 1974. Initially it was to be based on the Ford Maverick, but ultimately was based on the
Ford PintoThe Ford Pinto was Ford Motor Company's first domestic North American subcompact automobile marketed beginning on September 11, 1970. It competed with the AMC Gremlin and Chevrolet Vega, along with imports from makes such as Volkwagen, Datsun and Toyota. The Pinto was popular in sales, with 100,000...
subcompact.
The new model was introduced two months before the first "Energy Crisis" in
October 1973The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo" in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war; it lasted until March 1974...
, and its reduced size allowed it to compete more effectively against smaller imported sports coupés such as the Japanese
Toyota CelicaThe Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of popular coupes made by the Japanese company Toyota. The name is ultimately derived from the Latin word coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial"....
and the European
Ford CapriFord Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three separate automobile models:* The Ford Consul Capri coupé, produced by Ford of Britain between 1961 and 1964* The Ford Capri coupé, produced by Ford Europe from 1969 to 1986...
(then Ford-built in Germany and Britain, sold in U.S. by Mercury as a
captive importCaptive import is an automobile marketing term denoting a foreign-built vehicle that is sold and serviced by a domestic manufacturer through its own dealer distribution system....
car). First-year sales were 385,993 cars, compared with the original Mustang's twelve-month sales record of 418,812.
Lee Iacocca wanted the new car, which returned the Mustang to more than a semblance of its 1964 predecessor in size, shape, and overall styling, to be finished to a high standard, saying it should be "a little jewel." However not only was it smaller than the original car, but it was also heavier, owing to the addition of equipment needed to meet new U.S. emission and safety regulations. Performance was reduced, and despite the car's new handling and engineering features the galloping mustang emblem "became a less muscular steed that seemed to be
canterThe canter is a controlled, three-beat gait performed by a horse. It is a natural gait possessed by all horses, faster than most horses' trot but slower than the gallop, and is used by all riders. The speed of the canter varies between 16-27 km/h , depending on the length of the stride of the horse...
ing."
The car was available in coupé and
hatchbackHatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window...
versions. Changes introduced in 1975 included reinstatement of the 302
CIDA cubic inch is a non-SI unit of volume, equal to the volume of a cube with sides of one inch.Cubic inches are still sometimes used as a unit of measurement in the United States and Canada, although SI is continuing to gradually displace non-SI usage.-Notation conventions:The following symbols...
V8 option (called the "5.0 L" although its capacity was 4.94 L) and availability of an economy option called the "MPG Stallion". Other changes in appearance and performance came with a "Cobra II" version in 1976 and a "King Cobra" in 1978.
Third generation (1979–1993)
The 1979 Mustang was based on the larger
Fox platformThe Ford Fox platform is a rear wheel drive, unitized-chassis, automobile architecture that Ford used for 16 years in the North American market...
(initially developed for the 1978
Ford FairmontThe Ford Fairmont was a North American compact car, produced between 1978 and 1983.The 1978 Ford Fairmont was the first vehicle built on the Ford Fox platform, which would be the basis for a variety of other models, including the 1980 to 1988 Thunderbird, the 1981 to 1982 American Ford Granada, the...
and
Mercury ZephyrThe Mercury Zephyr was a compact car sold by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company in the North American market from 1978 to 1983. Along with its corporate cousin the Ford Fairmont, it was the first use of Ford's long-lived unibody Fox platform, which did not completely leave...
). The interior was restyled to accommodate four people in comfort despite a smaller rear seat. The
trunkThe trunk, or boot, of an automobile or car is the vehicle's main storage, luggage, or cargo compartment. Trunk is used in North American English and Jamaican English; boot is used elsewhere in the English speaking world. Trunk is also primarily used in many non-English speaking regions, such as...
was larger, as was the engine bay, for easier service access.
Body styles included a
coupéA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
, (
notchbackNotchback is a form of car body style; in different parts of the world the precise definition varies. The term is common in the United States where it refers to the typical "three-box" design of sedans.- Design :...
), and
hatchbackHatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window...
; a convertible was offered in 1983. Available trim levels included L, GL, GLX, LX, GT, Turbo GT, SVO (1984-86), Cobra, and Cobra R (1993).
In response to slumping sales and escalating fuel prices during the early 1980s, a new Mustang was in development. It was to be a variant of the
Mazda MX-6The Mazda MX-6 was a front-wheel drive sporty coupé produced by Mazda between 1987 and 1997. It was called the Mazda Capella in Japan until 2002 before being renamed Mazda Atenza/Mazda6....
assembled at
AutoAlliance InternationalAutoAlliance International is a joint venture automobile assembly firm co-owned by Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation. The main AAI plant is located at 1 International Drive in Flat Rock, Michigan...
in
Flat Rock, MichiganFlat Rock is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. A very small portion of the city extends into Monroe County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,488. Flat Rock is home to the AutoAlliance International manufacturing plant, co-owned by Ford Motor Company and Mazda...
. Enthusiasts wrote to Ford objecting to the proposed change to a front-wheel drive, Japanese-designed Mustang without a V8 option. The result was a major facelift of the existing Mustang in 1987, while the MX-6 variant became the 1989
Ford ProbeThe Ford Probe was a coupe produced by Ford, introduced in 1989 to replace the Ford EXP as the company's sport compact car. The Probe was fully based on the Mazda G-platform using unique sheetmetal and interior. The instrument cluster and pop-up headlight mechanisms are borrowed from the FC RX-7...
.
Fourth generation (1994–2004)
In 1994 the Mustang underwent its first major redesign in fifteen years. Code named "SN-95" by Ford, it was based on an updated version of the rear-wheel drive Fox platform called "Fox-4." The new styling by
Patrick SchiavonePatrick Schiavone is an automobile designer, currently in charge of trucks for North America at Ford Motor Company. Schiavone previously oversaw North American car design at Ford until giving up that post to Moray Callum on May 1, 2006....
incorporated several styling cues from earlier Mustangs. For the first time since 1973, a
hatchbackHatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window...
coupe model was unavailable.
The base model came with a
3.8 OHVThe Ford Essex V6 engine was a 90° V6 engine family built by Ford Motor Company at the Essex Engine Plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Unlike the British Essex V6, the Canadian Essex used a 90° V configuration, in addition to having different displacements and valvetrains...
V6 (232 cid) engine rated at 145 hp (108 kW; 1994-1995) or 150 hp (112 kW; 1996-1998) and was mated to a standard 5-speed
manual transmissionA manual transmission, or manual gearbox is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
or optional 4-speed
automaticAn automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. Though initially used in the 1994 and 1995 Mustang GT, Ford retired the 302cu pushrod small-block V8 after nearly 40 years of use, replacing it with the newer
ModularThe Modular engine is Ford Motor Company's current high volume overhead camshaft V8 and V10 gasoline engine family. It gradually replaced the Windsor small-block and 385 big-block engines over several years in the mid-1990s. Contrary to popular belief, the Modular engine did not get its name from...
4.6 L (281 cid) SOHC V8 in the 1996 Mustang GT. The 4.6 L V8 was initially rated at 215 hp (160 kW; 1996-1997) but was later increased to 225 hp (168 kW; 1998).
For 1999, the Mustang received Ford's
New EdgeNew Edge was a styling theme used by Ford Motor Company for many of its passenger vehicles in the late 1990s and early 2000s and initially authored by Jack Telnack, who served as Vice President of Design for Ford from 1980 to 1997. Under Telnacks oversight, New Edge was implemented by other Ford...
styling theme with sharper contours, larger wheel arches, and creases in its bodywork, but its basic proportions, interior design, and chassis remained the same as the previous model. The Mustang's powertrains were carried over for 1999 but benefitted from new improvements. The standard 3.8 L V6, thanks to a new split-port induction system, now produced 190 hp (142 kW; 1999-2004) while the Mustang GT's 4.6 L V8 saw an increase in output to 260 hp (194 kW; 1999-2004), thanks to a new head design and other enhancements. There were also two alternate models offered in this generation that included the 2001 Bullitt GT and the 2003 and 2004
Mach 1The Ford Mustang Mach 1 was a performance model of the Ford Mustang that Ford produced beginning in 1969. The original production run of the Mach 1 ended in 1979 because the Mustang II coupe was being phased out in favor of newer Mustangs on the Fox body platform.The Mach 1 returned in 2003 as a...
.
Fifth generation (2005–present)
At the 2004
North American International Auto ShowThe North American International Auto Show , is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
, Ford introduced a completely redesigned Mustang, codenamed "S-197," that was based on an all-new
D2CThe Ford D2C platform is Ford's latest rear-wheel drive automobile platform. Currently the only vehicle using this platform is the 2005-present Ford Mustang, and its Shelby derivative....
platform for the 2005
model yearThe model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....
. Developed under the direction of Chief Engineer Hau Thai-Tang and exterior styling designer
Sid RamnaraceSid Ramnarace is a Canadian-born designer. Objects he has designed include housewares, furniture, cutlery, glassware and textiles. He has also designed automobile interiors and exteriors ....
, the fifth-generation Mustang's styling echoes the
fastbackA fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
Mustangs of the late 1960s. Ford's senior vice president of design,
J MaysJ Mays is Group Vice President of Global Design and Chief Creative Officer at Ford Motor Company...
, called it "retro-futurism."
The fifth-generation Mustang is manufactured at the
AutoAlliance InternationalAutoAlliance International is a joint venture automobile assembly firm co-owned by Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation. The main AAI plant is located at 1 International Drive in Flat Rock, Michigan...
plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. The base model is powered by a cast-iron block
4.0 L SOHC V6The original Ford Cologne V6, also known as the Ford Taunus V6, is a series of 60° cast iron block V6 engines produced continuously by the Ford Motor Company in Cologne, Germany since 1968...
, which replaces the 3.8 L pushrod V6 used previously. The Mustang GT features an aluminum block 4.6 L SOHC 3-valve Modular V8 with
variable camshaft timingVariable Camshaft Timing is an automobile variable valve timing technology developed by Ford. It uses electronically controlled hydraulic valves that direct engine oil into the camshaft phaser cavity. These oil control solenoids are bolted into the cylinder heads towards the front of the engine...
(VCT) that produces . The 2005 Mustang GT has an approximate weight to power ratio of /bhp. The base Mustang comes with a standard Tremec T-5 5-speed manual transmission while Ford's own 5R55S 5-speed automatic, a Mustang first, is optional. Though the Mustang GT features the same automatic transmission as the V6 model, the Tremec T-5 manual is substituted with the heavier duty
Tremec TR-3650The TREMEC TR-3650 is a 5-speed manual transmission for longitudinal engine automobiles. It includes a 5th gear that functions as an overdrive gear, light-weight aluminum housings, a synchromesh reverse gear, and synchromeshed helical cut forward gears. It is manufactured by Transmission...
5-speed manual transmission to better handle the GT's extra power.
For 2010, Ford unveiled a redesigned Mustang prior to the Los Angeles International Auto Show. The 2010 Mustang remains on the
D2CThe Ford D2C platform is Ford's latest rear-wheel drive automobile platform. Currently the only vehicle using this platform is the 2005-present Ford Mustang, and its Shelby derivative....
platform and mostly retains the previous-year's drivetrain options. The Mustang received a thoroughly revised exterior, with only the roof panel being retained, that is sculpted for a leaner, more muscular appearance and better aerodynamic performance (
coefficient of dragIn fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
has been reduced by 4% on V6 models and 7% on GT models ).
The V6 for base Mustangs remains unchanged, while the Mustang GT's
4.6 L V8The Modular engine is Ford Motor Company's current high volume overhead camshaft V8 and V10 gasoline engine family. It gradually replaced the Windsor small-block and 385 big-block engines over several years in the mid-1990s. Contrary to popular belief, the Modular engine did not get its name from...
has been revised to specifications similar to that of the 2008-2009 Mustang Bullitt's 4.6 L V8, resulting in at 6000 rpm and of torque at 4250 rpm. Other mechanical features for the 2010 Mustang include new spring rates and dampers to improve ride quality and control, standard traction control system and stability control system on all models, and new wheel sizes. For the Mustang GT, two performance packages were made available. Other new features and options for the 2010 Mustang include
Ford SYNCFord SYNC is a factory-installed, in-car communications and entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft. It is based on the Microsoft Auto platform...
, dual-zone automatic climate control, an updated navigation system with
SiriusSirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in the United States and Canada, owned by Sirius XM Radio. Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and...
Travel Link, a capless fuel filler, and a reverse camera system to aid in backing up.
The 2010 Mustang was released in the spring of 2009.
Future generations
According to the car magazine
Motor TrendMotor Trend is an automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line The Magazine for a Motoring World. Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen magazines to...
, a redesigned Mustang is planned for the 50th anniversary of the first Mustang in 2014.
Additional information
Ford announced in July 2007 that all 2008 Mustangs would have seats containing material derived from soy beans, harking back to some of Henry Ford's ideals.
On December 12, 2007, Ford announced a new option for the 2009 Mustang to be unveiled at the 2008 North American International Auto Show called the glass roof. This $1,995 option is in effect a full roof sunroof that splits the difference in price and purpose of the coupe and convertible models.
Concept cars, special editions and modified Mustangs
HEAT EDITION
The Heat Edition was a 2007 appearance package added to the V6 Coupe Premium Package and was done by
Roush Industries. The Package consisted of 5 added appearance options: Hood Scoop, Rear Wing, Heat Edition Stripe Package, Heat Edition Exterior Badge and a Heat Edition Interior Dash Serial Badge. The price was an additional MSRP of $1,250 and they planed to build about 1000 but Roush Industries calculated that they might have built only 279 of them.
The car when new had an additional window sticker with the Heat edition Addendum for Added Components and the additional MSRP, Also on the Ford Original window sticker at the bottom right says SHIP THROUG ROUSH INDUSTRIES INC 28156 PLYMOUTH RD LIVONIA MI and an item Number.
Racing
The Mustang made its first public appearance on a racetrack little more than a month after its April 17 introduction, as pace car for the
1964 Indianapolis 500The 1964 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30 1964. It was won by A.J. Foyt, but is best known for a fiery second-lap accident that resulted in the deaths of Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald, involving a total of seven cars...
.
The same year, Mustangs achieved the first of many notable competition successes, winning first and second in class in the
Tour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race that covers approximately throughout France and bordering countries. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages. Individual times to finish each stage are totalled to...
international rally. The car’s American competition debut, also in 1964, was in
drag racingDrag racing is a competition in which vehicles compete to be the first to cross a set finish line, usually from a standing start, and in a straight line. First gaining popularity in the USA after World War II , the sport steadily grew in popularity and spread across the globe...
, where private individuals and dealer-sponsored teams campaigned Mustangs powered by 427 cu. in. V8s.
In late 1964, Ford contracted Holman & Moody to prepare ten 427-powered Mustangs to contest the
National Hot Rod AssociationThe National Hot Rod Association is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and host events all over the United States and Canada...
's (NHRA) A/Factory Experimental class in the 1965 drag racing season. Five of these special Mustangs made their competition debut at the 1965 NHRA Winternationals, where they qualified in the Factory Stock Eliminator class. The car driven by Bill Lawton won the class.
A decade later Bob Glidden won the Mustang’s first NHRA Pro Stock title.
Early Mustangs also proved successful in road racing. The GT 350 R, the race version of the
Shelby GT 350The Shelby Mustang is a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang, built by Ford from 1965 through 1970. The shelbys' were a series of Ford Mustangs which were specially modified by Carroll Shelby's company and sold under the name Shelby GT with identification badges Shelby Cobra. From 1968 the...
, won five of the
Sports Car Club of AmericaThe Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rally, and autocross in the United States and was formed in 1944...
's (SCCA) six divisions in 1965. Drivers were Jerry Titus, Bob Johnson and
Mark DonohueMark Neary Donohue, Jr. was an American racecar driver known for his ability to set up his own race car and drive it consistently on the absolute limit. Donohue is probably best-known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp “Can-Am Killer” Porsche 917-30, and as winner of the 1972 Indianapolis 500...
, and Titus won the (SCCA) B-Production national championship. GT 350s won the B-Production title again in 1966 and 1967. They also won the 1966 manufacturers’ championship in the inaugural SCCA
Trans-Am seriesThe Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by the Sports Car Club of America . Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans to its current form...
, and repeated the win the following year.
In 1969, modified versions of the 428 Mach 1, Boss 429 and Boss 302 took 295 United States Auto Club-certified records at
Bonneville Salt FlatsThe Bonneville Salt Flats are a 159 square mile salt flat in northwestern Utah. The depth of the salt has been recorded at 6 feet in many areas. A remnant of the ancient Lake Bonneville of glacial times, the salt flats are now public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management...
. The outing included a 24-hour run on a course at an average speed of . Drivers were
Mickey ThompsonMarion Lee "Mickey" Thompson was an American off-road racing legend. He won many championships as a racer, and later formed sanctioning bodies SCORE International and Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group . He also raced in dragsters and land speed record automobiles.Thompson was born in Alhambra,...
,
Danny OngaisDanny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...
, Ray Brock and Bob Ottum.
Boss 429 engines powered
Ford TorinoThe Ford Torino is an intermediate car produced bythe Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was initially an upscale version of the intermediate sized Ford Fairlane, which Ford produced between 1962 and 1970. After 1968 the Fairlane name was retained for the...
s in 1969 and 1970
NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
racing.
In 1970 the Mustang won the manufacturers’ championship in the Trans-Am series once again, with
Parnelli JonesRufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones , is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car. He is also remembered for bringing the stock block engine to USAC Sprint car racing as one of the...
and
George FollmerGeorge Follmer is a retired American race car driver, and one of the most successful road racers of the 1970s. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona....
driving. Jones won the drivers’ title. Two years later
Dick TrickleRichard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way...
won 67 short-track feature races, a national record for wins in a single season.
In 1975 Ron Smaldone's Mustang became the first-ever American car to win the Showroom Stock national championship in SCCA road racing.
Mustangs also competed in the
IMSAIMSA can refer to:* Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a residential magnet school located in Aurora, Illinois* International Mathematics and Science Academy, a boarding school in Peddapuram, India...
GTO class, with wins in 1984 and 1985. In 1985 John Jones also won the 1985 GTO drivers’ championship; Wally Dallenbach Jr., John Jones and
Doc BundyDoc Bundy is an American former race car driver who competed in the International Motor Sports Association. He drove in the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans in a David Price Racing Panoz Esperante GTR-1.-External links:*...
won the GTO class at the Daytona 24 Hours; and Ford won its first manufacturers’ championship in road racing since 1970. Three class wins went to Lynn St. James, the first woman to win in the series.
1986 brought eight more GTO wins and another manufacturers’ title.
Scott PruettScott Donald Pruett is an American race car driver who has competed in NASCAR, Champ Car, IMSA, Trans-Am and Grand-Am. He and his wife Judy are children's book authors....
won the drivers’ championship. The GT Endurance Championship also went to Ford.
In drag racing Rickie Smith’s
Motorcraft-History:The Ford Motor Company launched this auto parts division in 1972 to provide replacement parts and original equipment parts. This brand replaced Autolite as Ford's official parts brand. Autolite is still a brand name in use today, but is now owned by Honeywell...
Mustang won the
International Hot Rod AssociationThe International Hot Rod Association, also known as IHRA, is the 2nd largest drag racing sanctioning body after the NHRA.-The Carrier Era:The IHRA was formed in November 1970 by businessman Larry Carrier. Throughout this period the organization was operated primarily in the south-eastern United...
Pro StockPro Stock Drag Racing is a class of drag racing featuring 'Factory Hot-Rods'. The class can be known as "all motor," as the cars cannot use artificial induction such as turbocharging, supercharging, or nitrous oxide, and there are very strict rules governing the modifications allowed to the...
world championship.
In 1987 Saleen Autosport Mustangs driven by
Steve SaleenStephen Mark Saleen is an American businessman and former racing driver. He is best known for being the founder and former vice chairman of Saleen, Inc., originally named Saleen Autosport, which until 2009 was an OEM manufacturer of specialty vehicles including the Saleen S7 and highly modified...
and
Rick TitusRick Titus is an American former race car driver and now automotive journalist, who hosts a syndicated radio program called Drivers Talk Radio. He is the son of another former race driver-turned-journalist, Jerry Titus....
won the SCCA Escort Endurance SSGT championship, and in
International Motor Sports AssociationThe International Motor Sports Association is an American auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
(IMSA) racing a Mustang again won the GTO class in the Daytona 24 hours. In 1989, its silver anniversary year, the Mustang won Ford its first Trans-Am manufacturers’ title since 1970, with Lynn St. James winning the drivers’ championship. In 1997,
Tommy KendallTommy Kendall is an American race car driver and television broadcaster. He is best known for his SCCA Trans-Am Series career....
’s Roush-prepared Mustang won a record 11 consecutive races in Trans-Am to secure his third straight driver’s championship.
In 2002 John Force broke his own NHRA drag racing record by winning his 12th national championship in his Ford Mustang
Funny CarFunny Car is a drag racing car class. In the USA, other "professional" classes are Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Funny cars have forward-mounted engines and carbon fiber automotive bodies over the chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers' showroom models...
, Force beat that record again in 2006, becoming the first ever 14-time champion, again, driving a Mustang.
Currently Mustangs compete in several racing series, including the Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup and the
KONI ChallengeThe KONI Sports Car Challenge is a touring car series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. Originating from the Canadian Motorola Cup, the series was taken over by Grand-Am in 2001 to become the Grand-Am Cup following the demise of rival IMSA's Firehawk series of similar rules in the...
, where it won the manufacturer's title in 2005 & 2008, and the Formula Drift and
D1 Grand PrixThe , abbreviated as D1GP and subtitled Professional Drift, is a production car drifting series from Japan. After several years of hosting amateur drifting contests, Option Magazine & Tokyo Auto Salon founder Daijiro Inada, and drifting legend Keiichi Tsuchiya hosted a professional level drifting...
series. They are highly competitive in the SCCA
Speed World ChallengeThe Speed World Challenge is a North American auto racing series that is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America . It consists of two classes: touring car and grand touring. A second touring car class was announced on June 9, 2009....
GT Series.
As reported by Jayski.com, the Ford Mustang will be Ford's
Car of TomorrowThe Car of Tomorrow, sometimes called CoT or "Car of Today", is the car style for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Larger and boxier than the design it replaced, the Car of Tomorrow is safer, costs less to maintain, and was intended to make for closer competition.The car was introduced in the 2007 Cup...
for the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010, opening a new chapter in both Mustang's history and Ford's history.
Awards
The 1965 Mustang won the Tiffany Gold Medal for excellence in American design, the first automobile ever to do so.
The Mustang was on the
Car and Driver Ten BestCar and Driver magazine annually nominates a list of what it considers the Ten Best cars and Five Best trucks.All production vehicles for sale in that calendar year are considered with these restrictions:# The vehicle must be on sale by January...
list in 1983, 1987, 1988, 2005, and 2006. It won the
Motor Trend Car of the YearIn the USA, Motor Trend magazine was the first to give a Car of the Year award, doing so to Cadillac in 1949 . It has since expanded the award category to include the Truck and SUV of the Year, awarding these separately from the Car of the Year...
award in 1974 and 1994.
In 2005 it was runner-up to the
Chrysler 300The Chrysler 300 is a full-size sport/luxury sedan which was first shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car and first introduced in the spring of 2004 as an early 2005 model, becoming North America's first mainstream rear-wheel drive sedan with a V6 engine since the 1995 Mazda...
for the
North American Car of the YearThe North American Car of the Year is an automobile award voted annually in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The jury consists of no more than 50 automotive journalists.-Example:-Pre-1994:-1994-1999:-2000-2009:...
award and was named
Canadian Car of the YearCanadian Car of the Year winners, as chosen by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada:-Canadian Car of the Year:Canadian Car of the Year winners, as chosen by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada:-Canadian Car of the Year:...
.
See also
- California Special Mustang
In mid-February 1968, the California Ford Dealers began to market a factory-built, limited-edition Mustang, called the GT/CS, or "California Special". The hope was for a targeted production run of 5,000, but actually, 4118 were made, which included 251 units that were remarketed in Denver,...
- Ford Motor Company
The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
- Ford Mustang SSP
The Ford Mustang SSP was a lightweight police car package based on the Ford Mustang produced between 1982-1993. The car was meant to provide a speedier option for police departments in lieu of other full sized sedans on the market at the time...
- Ford Mustang variants
-Shelby Mustangs:Automobile racer Carroll Shelby transformed a conventional Mustang into a serious track racer designated as the "GT-350". The fastbacks were shipped from the San Jose, California assembly plant and fitted with a "Hi-Po" 289, 4-speed manual transmission, and included front disc...
- Shelby Mustang
The Shelby Mustang is a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang, built by Ford from 1965 through 1970. The shelbys' were a series of Ford Mustangs which were specially modified by Carroll Shelby's company and sold under the name Shelby GT with identification badges Shelby Cobra. From 1968 the...
External links