History of Mustang A short illustrated description of the performance changes to the Mustang through the years
Intro
It seems everybody has a favorite Mustang. With so many different generations to choose from the list is varied. To some, a '66 convertible, red with a white top, a Pony interior and a 289 is the best ever. Or how about a fastback with the HiPo V8 and GT package? Ever heard a Boss 302 thunder around a race track?
Others consider the 5.0L Mustangs the best ever largely because of the variety of low cost add-on parts available. These cars are relatively inexpensive to buy and to modify. The 4.6L DOHC Cobras come ready to run from the factory.
In the early '60s the only American sports car was the Corvette at a price too high for most. The Thunderbird had grown into a large luxury car (and Ford heard many complaints about this). Imported sports cars, mostly from England, were selling well. Within a few years the post-war baby boomers would be buying their first car. The Mustang II concept car generated a lot of excitement and led directly to the first Mustang less than a year later.
Ford was not unaware of how popular the car would be. They announced when the first television commercial would be shown and 29 million people tuned in to see it. The next day, the first day of availability, Ford sold 22,000 Mustangs.
Mustang I prototype
Unveiled in '62 at the US Grand Prix in Watkins Glen where Dan Gurney drove the car around the track "at speed."
Mustang II prototype
Debuted in '63. Mechanically similar to the production model with a 271 HP 289 V8.
Press conference at the unveiling of the Mustang