Forty-three years old and still going strong. That is quite a trick for a horse-but this is a special horse-the Ford Mustang.

This pony car was "born" in March, 1964 and introduced at the World's Fair in April. The first cars were commonly known and the "64 and 1/2". The 65 model differed only slightly, mainly with the substitution of an alternator for a generator. (One of the few ways one can tell the difference between the 64 1/2 and the 65 is to see if the dash light says "gen" or "alt".) Since then, the Mustang has gone through five "generations" of significant changes and is still in production today.

The Mustang stormed onto the car world, selling a million units in the first 18 months of production. Conceived by Donald Frey and backed by Lee Iacocca, the first Mustang was a brother to the Falcon. The first generation models were made from 1964 to 1974 and included "The Boss" models and the Shelby racing models. Each year the cars got bigger and heavier, until Iococca decided to go back to the original, smaller car.

From 1974-1978 the Second generation Mustang II or "Little Jewel", returned to the original style and idea of the first Mustang. While the redesign brought the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award, its performance was just adequate due to the weight added by the emissions and safety equipment. These five years are on the top ten most-sold Mustangs. Changes were moderate through the years and featured rack and pinion steering and a quieter interior. Ford attempted to drop the V-8 engine, but restored it due to public demand. The Shelby Cobras were the big cars of 1976 and 1978.

The Third generation Mustangs emerged in 1979 with more comfortable interiors and larger cars. In 1982 a convertible model was added and "The Boss" returned to the theme of "The Boss is Back!" Actually, the 80s almost saw the demise of the Mustang. Ford threatened to replace it with a front-wheel Japanese style model, until they were inundated by the car's faithful fans. In 1990, Ford produced a green model for a never-to-happen Seven-up commercial. Still dubbed the "Seven-up Mustang" there were only 500 made.

In 1994, the 'Stang underwent another complete redesign. took the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award and the Fourth Generation began. This generation lasted until 2004 when once again, a redesign led to the current and Fifth Generation in 2005.

To say the Mustang is one of the most popular muscle cars is to put it mildly. This car has been in the Car and Driver's Top Ten list five times. It won the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award in 1974 and 1994. It claimed the Tiffany Gold Medal in 1965. The 2005 model was the North America Car of the Year as well as Canadian Car of the Year. It has been featured in many movies, the most famous being "Bullitt" with Steve McQueen. The Mustang is one of the best things in American Car history.

For those wishing to know more about Ford's Mustang, there are many web sites completely devoted to this automobile icon. My thanks go to allfordmustangs.com, mustangworld.com and classicponycars.com.

Learn more about this author, Martha Leonard.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Automotive history: Ford Mustang?
We want to hear your view. Write now!