Contact Us for AZMCC

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Some of the information on this page was furnished by Ford Motor Company

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MUSTANG HISTORY - 5 OR 10 MODEL GENERATIONS TO DATE... WHICH IS IT?

1. THE MUSTANG: A CLASSIC AMERICAN CAR

In the long history of the automobile, there have been many types of cars that have sparked the imagination of the public. These cars have been sporty looking, fun to drive and owning the car makes other people jealous. Cars such as the Firebird, Ferrari and the Camaro have long been considered some of the finest cars in the automotive world. Joining this list, and perhaps topping this list, is one of the best known brands in the automotive industry – the Ford Mustang.

2. HISTORY OF THE MUSTANG

In the early 1960’s the Ford Motor Company was looking for a small, sporty car to compete in the marketplace. Through development, they came up with a four seat auto that was fun to drive, easy handling and lots of horsepower. The only problem is that they could not settle on a name. After much discussion, the executives at Ford ran some potential names by focus groups, and the name that evoked the best response was a name paying tribute to a World War II fighter plane – the P-51 Mustang!

The Mustang went into production in 1964, and quickly became one of the most popular cars of all time. The early 1964 1/2 Mustang ended production on October 31st, 1964 when the 1965 model year was introduced. The stylish looks and sporty handling made the Mustang a hot commodity. In fact, the Mustang became the Ford Motor Company’s most popular car, with all time sales only below the mass produced Model T.

History and Origin of the Ford Mustang
History of the Ford Mustang Presentation
The History of the Ford Mustang - a KC Internet Services Company
Early Shelby Mustang History
Ford Mustang Early Years
Edmunds Generation Breakdown

3. MUSTANG THROUGH THE YEARS:

The Mustang has been a mainstay in the Ford lineup for over forty years. However, the designers at Ford have periodically changed the design to meet the changing needs of the population. The Ford Mustang has gone through five different generations of design: first generation from 1964 to 1973, the second generation Mustang from 1974 to 1978, a third generation from 1979 to 1993, the fourth generation car went from 1994 to 2004, and the most recent fifth version from 2005 to the present. During the past forty years Mustang has changed the exterior, interior and parts to keep up with the latest in technology and design. See Section 6 below for another breakdown of the Mustang build generations.

4. AUTO RACING

Because of the sporty design, the Mustang has been a natural for racing. Ford has produced Mustangs that have participated in drag racing as well as sports car racing. The Mustang has become one of the leaders in road racing will many championships to its credit. And, in recent years the Ford Mustang has also branched out into the NASCAR Nationwide Stock Car Series.

5. OTHER MUSTANG RESOURCES

The Ford Mustang has been one of the biggest selling cars and has been the dream car of many people. The combination of style, sporty looks, smooth handling and quick acceleration has left its mark on the auto industry. Since 1964, the Mustang has been one of the most popular brands of cars and it continues to be a top seller today.

6. MUSTANG THROUGH THE YEARS [as recognized by Edmunds.com]:

Information supplied by "Edmunds.Com Incorporated" is a breakdown containing ten [10] Generations as opposed to the 5 generations we normally refer to when discussing the history of the Mustang. For more information, click on the "INFO" button below to review the Edmunds website information on their documented history breakdown of the Mustang year by year. Contact Automotive Editor John DiPietro at Edmonds for more information.

Edmunds.com Incorporated Website