The Dazzling History of the Classic Mustangs - How the Tradition Began

For the majority of automobile enthusiasts, the Mustang is thought of to be one of the top guns. But what transpired to make this happen? Well, it all commenced back in spring of 1964. Ford’s General Manager, Lee Iacocca, always had the idea of having a middle sized sports car and endorsing it as the next contender in street wars. But Ford decided to go all the way and conceive a completely unique type of car. What became of Iacocca’s primary idea is the "Pony Car". It was planned, initially, as a two-seater following the European-style, but a business-savvy Iacocca realized that the failure or success of this new model banked on volume sales.

Thus the design was enhanced further and the Ford Mustang was modeled after the Falcon, which was compact in design, so that assembly expenses could be shaved. This new vehicle was originally named P-51, after the famous fighter plane. However, quite a number of comparisons were made to the Mustang, a category of horse and it ultimately became both symbol and theme to the cars. True to its namesake, the Mustang sold 22,000 units on the very first day of it's debut and went on to sell a million more within the next few years thus gaining the respect of both the industry and car lovers during that time.

By the time 1966 rolled around, the Mustang got tweaked a bit. They altered the design of the instrument panel to differentiate the Mustang from the Falcon. The 260 cid 8 cylinder was also substituted with 2 and 4 barrel types of the 289 cid V8. The next year, a total renovation occurred in the design of the Mustang, these changes include a thicker sheet metal below its midsection, a more menacing grille, a hollow tail panel, and a fastback roof line for the fastback design of the vehicle’s body. These 1967 Shelby’s were more advanced in terms of design. It also had more elements that provided luxury to the passenger. The 1967 Shelby’s were the last to be designed by the Shelby-American Company. All other models that were made after were manufactured by Ford with negligible involvement for Shelby. In 1968, the Mustang underwent some more modifications. The grille was changed into something simpler and its 427 engines were scaled back but even still, they were more than able to get people’s attention when cruising down the streets. Also in the same year was when Ford unveiled what was to be their greatest engine ever. The 428 Cobra Jet, as it was called, was said to have an output of 410 bhp. The Shelby’s were still in production and a new design, a convertible, was also made available. This convertible design was called the Shelby Cobra.

Through the subsequent years of 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973 more adjustments were done to the original Mustang blueprint. In 1969, the Shelby’s that were produced became more oriented to being a luxury car. The Boss Mustangs were also introduced the same year. These Boss Mustangs were made to qualify for the NASCAR races. By 1970, people still preferred the Cobra engine to the other engines that were coming out during that time. By 1971, Ford’s decades of being a complete performance vehicle were winding down. This would also be the only year that Ford’s performance was considered to be fading. In 1973, a number of blunders and changes in the rules required alterations to the design of the Mustang as well. This time, what used to be a vehicle produced for high performance premiered a new model, the Mustang II, with no claims to anything as marvelous as what its descendants had been.

Eric Buck has been a voracious car fan all his life, being raised having hands on participation with his dad's car franchises. Many have joked that motor oil has replaced blood coursing through his veins! He has developed a website for you to find the lowest prices and best selection of classic Mustangs for sale on the internet. Check it out at Mustangs For Sale and locate the Mustang of your dreams!