The History of the Ford Mustang
In the early 1960s, Ford’s vice president and general manager, the legendary Lee Iacocca wanted to create a sporty car marketed to younger generations and based on the smaller Falcon.
The first Mustang debuted at the World Fair of 1964, with the inaugural model launching in 1965. Ford initially planned on producing 100,000 vehicles in the first year, however the model became so popular that dealerships sold 22,000 vehicles in the first day. Furthermore, the Ford Mustang became the first of the pony cars.
1964 Ford Mustang (autoevolution.com)
The Mustang launched in notchback and convertible styles, with fastbacks being added to the line in 1965. In the first year of sales, Ford racked up an astonishing figure of 681,000 vehicles sold, almost 7 times more than initial projections. By 1966 Ford sold its millionth mustang.
The original Mustangs had a Ford straight-six engine, 4.3 litre V8, with up to 271 horsepower.
From 1967 to 1969 the Mustang became a bigger car, its width, length and weight increased due to the installation of a bigger engine, a 335 horsepower 6.4 litre V8.
The ’67 fastback is considered the most iconic Mustang of all time, this is the reason we chose to redefine it as the brand new Electric Mustang by Charge Cars.
In 1969, the Mustang grew even more, adding 3.8 inches to its length and 0.5 inches to its width. Ford also created variations of the Mustang to fit the NASCAR and drag racing specifications. The changes were not received well, and as the car started looking less aggressive, the sales dipped to under 200,000 in 1970.
1968 Ford Mustang (carscoops.com)
In 1974, Ford released the Mustang II, a model based on a stretched Pinto platform. It was marketed as an upscale economy car and against all odds the sales rocketed to 386,000 in 1974, the Mustang II’s best year. Surprisingly the vehicle was very well received and even won the MotorTrends Car of the Year award.
1974 Ford Mustang (motorbiscuit.com)
1979 Ford Mustang (caranddriver.com)
From 1979, Mustangs were being built on the Fox platform, which was also utilised in Fairmont models. Ford began making Mustangs with 140 horsepower which was vastly less than its previous models and affected the credibility of the car. For the ’80 and ’81 models the engine 4.2 V8 as the second oil crisis occurred. During the second half of the ’80s Ford started delivering cars with higher horsepower with 210 horsepower ’85 model, and 200 horsepower ’86 car. The sales started declining again, during which time the SVT Cobra with a modified 235 horsepower V8, as well as a racing Cobra R version, however the company only produced 5000 models and 107 R models.
1986 Ford Mustangs (oldcarbrochures.com)
During the mid nineties Ford conducted a survey among Mustang fans, and the prevalent response was that people wanted to see more recognisable Mustang attributes. Ford altered the ’94 model with first-gen characteristics and the horse logo made a come back. The model featured a larger Fox platform and tuned suspension for a softer ride. Later on, the model was face-lifted in 1999, with an option of two engines: a V6 (190 hp) and a V8 (260 hp).
1994 Ford Mustang (motorauthority.com)
In 2005, Ford produced the new Mustang model, which was somewhat of a return to its roots. The old Fox platform was ditched while a 4.0 litre V6 (210 hp) and 4.6 litre V8 now delivered 300 horsepower. The model was launched to great reviews from the customers and spawned the return of Chevrolet’s Camaro and Dodge’s Challenger programs.
2005 Ford Mustang GT (motorauthority.com)
The fifth generation Mustang got a facelift in 2010, and came out at the same time as the new Chevrolet Camaro SS. The biggest difference with older Mustangs were the sequential tail lights which none had before. Furthermore, the 2011 models received new engines: a 3.7 litre V8 and a 5.0 litre V8 which produced 415 horsepower, which further increased to 444 horsepower in 2011.
In 2013, Ford unveiled the newest reiteration of its Mustang, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the car. One of the most popular augmentations was the independent rear suspension, which customers wanted on the 2005 model. The V6 (300 hp) and V8 (435 hp) were joined by a third option of a new 2.3 litre turbocharged four cylinder engine that produced 310 horsepower. In 2019 Ford announced the new Mach-E 2020 Mustang, a four door electric crossover to make their mark in the expanding electric vehicle world.
2015 Ford Mustang (caranddriver.com)
2021 Ford Mustang Mach E SUV (motor1.com)
The Shelby Program
Lee Iacocca was concerned that besides the Mustang sales going incredibly well, the car lacked the performance image and did not fit under the Ford Division Total Performance program. To correct this Iaccoca called up Caroll Shelby with the request of making the Mustang a sports car with top performance. This led to the creation of the 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350. The new Shelby Mustang competed in Sports Club of America against Jaguar XKE, Corvette Stingray, Ferrari and Sunbeam Tiger, easily dominating the competition and winning the 1965 B Production National Championship, as well as achieving the performance image that Ford needed. The GT350 was produced from 1965–1970, adding the GT500 model in 1971 after the Mustang was large enough to fit a new V8 (335 hp). With Caroll Shelby retiring from his Ford affiliation it took almost forty years for the program to return.
1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 (caranddriver.com)
Ford and Shelby reestablished their relationship in 2006 with the Shelby GT-H, a 325 horsepower vehicle built specifically for Hertz (rental car company). However, the proper version came out in 2007, the new GT500 boasted a 5.0 litre supercharged V8 which produced 500 horsepower. Later on, in 2010, Ford updated the GT500 with an additional 40 horsepower. However, GM were releasing the new track-ready Camaro, so Ford had to use an aluminium engine block to lose 102 lbs off the front which improved handling. During the 2013 model release, the new GT500 received a 663 horsepower update, which led to top speed of 200 miles per hour. Furthermore in 2020, the supercharged 5.4 litre V8 churned out 760 horsepower. The new model received great reviews, won numerous awards and received a spot on the 2020 All-Stars Automobile list.
2006 Shelby Mustang GT500 (whichcar.com.au)
2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 (motortrend.com)
Bibliography
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Rossi, J. (2018) ‘These 28 Photos Show How the Ford Mustang Has Evolved Over the Years’, MotorBiscuit, 18 October. Available at: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/photos-ford-mustang-evolved-over-the-years/ (Accessed: 6 September 2021).
