The long wait for the star of American muscle cars is over. Fifty-two years after its launch in the United States, the Mustang, Ford’s most iconic model is here in India.
The Mustang GT Fastback is launching in India with the base price of Rs 65 lakh. This sixth generation car is an iconic combination of sophistication and high performance. It will be directly competing with Audi TT, Porsche Cayman.
On this occasion, newindianexpress.com looks at the birth and growth of the American cult car.
The birth of the stallion - Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang entered the American auto sector in the year 1964, with the first model rolling off the assembly line on March 9, 1964. On the 17th of April, 1964, Ford officially launched the its first ever hunk into the market, after an aggressive pre-launch marketing campaign the previous day that whipped up frenzy among American buyers to grab the ’Stang'.
It immediately earned a permanent place among the world’s car fanatics, with over 22,000 cars said to have been sold the first day.
The idea behind this 'sleek and slender' version originated from the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car.
Soon a GT version was added, making it among the most sought-after models. Bucket seats were another standout feature of the Mustang.
The Mustang went on to become the best selling sports car of the year 2015 with 76,124 record-breaking registrations, posing a menacing stance against bigger, tougher cars in this category.
First ever Mustang
Lido Anthony “Lee” Iacocca, vice president and general manager of Ford, had dreamt of a compact, luxurious yet affordable car, which took shape as the first ever Ford Mustang.
Lee’s vision was welcomed in the real world; the compact four-seater, just 180 inches long and weighing 2,500 pounds, was easy on people's pockets too with a base price under 2,500 dollars. The American people lapped it up. It came to be a part of popular culture and featured in several movies, stealing focus away from the actors.
Custom ride – A Mustang for everyone
Mustang was given the ever famous tag line of "the car to be designed by you". The reason behind this was as exciting as it sounds: one could customise the car according to one’s fancy.
Most of the components of the Mustang were borrowed from the Falcon, including the drivetrain — which includes the transmission, the drive shaft, the axles and its wheels that work in conjunction with the engine to move the wheels, which basically helped the buyer customise it as plain, or as fancy, or as economical, or as fast, as he/she wanted.
The Mustang had made a name for itself, and it was here to stay!
'The Pony cars'
The Mustang was indigenously known as the 'Pony car', inspired by the Ford Mustang line launched in 1964. The term 'Pony' described an affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance- oriented image, which was the main feature envisioned by Lee Iacocca.
Unfortunately, over the late 1960s and 70s, the purity and uniqueness went for a toss, as the Second generation gave up the 'sleek' factor.
However, the Mach 1 and the Boss 302, Boss 429, stars of the first-generation Mustangs earned their own place in the history and continue to hold on it.
Why the name 'Mustang'?
The trend of naming the cars after animals had been the order of the day. The Mustang’s predecessor was the Falcon. Interestingly, Mustang was not originally meant to be named after an animal; designer John Najjar at first suggested the name Mustang after the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane.
But, later after many discussions and disagreements in the team, Najjar pitched the name again as a type of horse, and everyone loved it.
Popular Ponies
This wonder car by Ford has been available only in few countries around the world. However, its popularity has extended well beyond its sales outlets and it has been on the wishlist of millions around the world. One of the reasons was its special edition models like 'Bullitt'. Besides the cars’ high performance, low production volumes gave it exclusivity.
TOP 10 Mustang models
1.Ford Mustang II King Cobra
2.Ford Mustang California Special
3.Ford Mustang SVO
4.Ford Mustang Bullitt
5.Original 1964 Ford Mustang 289
6.Ford Mustang Mach 1
7.Ford Mustang Boss 302/351/429
8.Ford Shelby Mustang GT500
9.Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
10.Ford Shelby Mustang GT350
A decade-long absence from the market
Ford mysteriously stopped production of Convertibles, one of the key models of the Mustang, for nearly 10 years. But the demand kept soaring, forcing Ford to relaunch the open-top version in 1983.
Popular movies ‘starring’ Mustangs:
- 1st gen Ford Mustang - "Goldfinger", a James Bond film
- Ford Mustang Mach 1 - “Diamonds Are Forever”. Almost all the cars used by Bond in the 007 movies were specifically designed and made for them.
- Ford Mustang Cobra - “2 Fast 2 Furious” and in subsequent series of Fast and Furious.
- 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible – TV series: “Beverly Hills, 90210”.
- Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - "I Am Legend” and “Gone in 60 seconds (2000)”.
- POLICE Ford Mustang (Saleen S281E) - “Transformers”.
Forever young – Six generations down
Mustang production was split into 6 generations, each seeing a considerable modifications to design, speed, engine power, and other technological improvements.
Over the course of its evolution, Mustang transformed from a low budget, affordable family vehicle with zing to a powerful and roaring sports car.