History of the Ford Mustang

If there is a car that can be said to be a classic piece of Americana, the Ford Mustang is it. For decades the Mustang has enjoyed unparalleled popularity. Born out of a need to compete with a rival company's model and to boost sagging sales, the success of the Mustang is due to the right combination of media savvy, great entrepreneurship, and marketing brilliance.

The Concept

In 1964, the Ford company was experiencing a downswing. With the development of the Corvair Monza, Chevrolet had taken a significant lead in sales. With the greatest success of the Ford Falcon squarely in the past, the Ford Motor Company knew they needed something new. Ford wanted an answer to the Chevy's character and style, which were its key selling features.

Lee Iacocca stepped up to the plate and suggested the new vehicle be designed by the people. At first, upper management at Ford rejected the concept, but eventually Iacocca won them over and soon after the car began its design stage. In order to reduce costs on the development, the Mustang used many parts that were originally included on other car models, notably the drivetrain that was found in both the Fairlane and the Falcon. It came in two-seater models, coup or convertible.

The Campaign

To launch their new car, Ford put together an extraordinary advertising campaign. The car would be revealed to the public at the 1964 World's Fair in New York on April 17 of that year. Within two days the advertisements were all over U.S. television. The campaign was one of the most successful launches in American history, with over a million Mustangs sold in its first year and a half on the market (during which time it was upgraded to a four-seater).

One of the largest perks of buying a Mustang was that every car was built-to-order and each soon-to-be-owner could choose from a long list of options to include on their new car. Some of the options included power steering, power train combinations, air conditioning, and a high performance engine. The Mustang was the first automobile to offer a laundry list of options and it became extremely profitable for both manufacturers and dealers.

New Models

The '64 to '66 Mustang models were built with a sports car look, including long hoods and shorter rear units. Interiors were also designed along sports lines, with a small backseat and two seats in the front.

1967 and 1968 Mustangs had a larger grill than the original models, and also a widened hood that was more aggressive looking and a better reflection of the engine units.

1969 and 1970 Mustangs were longer than the previous models, and were also heavier. In addition, the headlights of the Mustang were now housed inside the grill instead of protruding.

'71 to '73 saw the heaviest Mustangs to date put on the market.

The second generation of Mustangs saw a return to the appearance of the original model, but with important innovations in the guts. Rack-and-pinion steering was an important part of the system that was manufactured from 1974-1978.

The third generation of Mustang was also the longest incarnation of the car in terms of production. While it lacked the cosmetic appeal of the other generations (being smaller and with softer lines), this model had a complete reworking of the interior so that four people would fit in it comfortably. With a 302 with a better camshaft and new valves as well as an updated exhaust system, the third generation of Mustang was the best from a performance point of view, being one of the fastest domestic cars available in America.

The fourth generation of Mustang was designed to get the car back to the sales numbers it had enjoyed in previous years. The manufacturers relied on a return to the sporty look to accomplish this, and the move paid off. Ford had successfully melded the look of earlier generationg with the superior parts and performance of the third-generation Mustangs to create one formidable machine.

Ford bought in to the popularity of retro in a big way with the fifth generation of Mustang which hit the market in 2005. The latest Mustang models are much more similar to the '60s styles than any other generation, only with the sleeker lines that the 21st century finds so appealing in all matters of decoration. The Ford Mustang is forever history in the making.