Mustang is Ford’s longest running nameplate, an enduring American favorite, and the world’s best-selling sports car since its release in 1964. The Mustang was created to capture the rising young adult market of the 1960s as the “Baby Boom” generation came of car-buying age. And to tap into expanding markets such as young families, the exploding number of households looking to add a second car, and the women who would likely be driving these additional vehicles.
The result was a car that evoked a spirit of freedom, exploration, and independence in an instantly recognizable design. While the Mustang has undergone many changes over the years, it has maintained this spirit throughout its six generations. As one vice president of design states, “As one of the few cars that has been in continuous production for 50 years, Mustang has successfully adapted while retaining its essence.” The Mustang has stressed visual presence, performance, and accessibility through all its iterations.
The world’s first “pony” car, the child of Lee Iacocca and Don Frey, was conceived as an affordable car combining luxury and performance in a compact, sporty design. The designers were tasked with creating a car to attract the desired market. The Mustang had to be visually appealing and fun to drive. At the same time, it had to be compact, seat four using bucket seats, have a sizable trunk, and be highly customizable. The customization lent itself to affordability, keeping the base price low and allowing drivers who wanted more to personalize the car with a large number of options. Buyers could choose to customize for luxury, performance, or accessibility.
The first Mustang design was chosen after an open competition between different groups within Ford. Ford Studio won the competition with the classic long hood, iconic grill, short rear deck, and sharply sculpted flanks that have been present in every generation of Mustang. This look has captivated generations of car owners, changed car design more generally as competitors scrambled to catch up, and played a powerful role in popular culture with over 3,000 Mustang appearances in television and films.
The Mustang was an instant success upon its release in 1964 with over 22,000 units sold the first day, a record 418,812 the first year, and over one million within two years. In 2008, one in every two sports cars sold in the United States was a Mustang. Now, with over fifty years of continuous production, the Mustang has sold over ten million units. Its customizable nature has also created the auto industry’s largest after-market parts and products market. In offering the adaptability, accessibility, and spirit wanted by contemporary drivers, the Mustang stands at the very heart and soul of taking Henry Ford’s vision of “putting the world on wheels” into the future.