The Ford Mustang is a model of automobile built by Ford since 1964. Uniquely for Ford, the Mustang grille feature their own logo – a mustang galloping – instead of the manufacturer. It reached 10 million copies sold worldwide in August 2018
Presentation
The April 17 , 19642 marks a turning point in the history of the automotive industry ; that day, Ford , second world manufacturer, presents the World’s Fair in New York ‘s Mustang. Ford has somehow reinvented the automobile for young Americans from the baby boom and jaded big heavy and massive cars. Lee Iacocca , then CEO of Ford, had long had the vision of a small sports car that would invade the streets (like theVolkswagen Beetle in Europe). Instead of making an umpteenth version of an already existing car, Ford puts on wheels the concept of pony car. Originally created as a two-seater coupé in the purest European tradition, Lee Iacocca realizes that success depends largely on the volume of sales, so, to save development costs, the first versions will be based directly on the Ford Falcon family . The Mustang is now fitted as standard with an engine of 6 cylinders of 2.8 L or, optionally, a 260 V8 latter ( 4.2 L ) or above 289 ( 4.7 L ). It is available in hardtop coupe or cabriolet ( fastback bodyworkappears in 1965). There is plenty of chromium, which makes it more appealing to young people. Many options are available to decorate the car, the goal being that everyone has a unique Mustang. She is competing with the Plymouth Barracuda outing two weeks earlier but that will not have the immense success of the Mustang. The official version of the Mustang name comes from John Najjar, one of the designers of the prototype Mustang I, who would have proposed the name from the plane P-51 Mustang which he was a fan. This is a legend as stated in Ford’s official Mustang book. The name Mustang comes from the horse of the same name (hence the logo).
Ford Mustang I (1964)
Like the American automobile industry, Ford’s “small” coupe was released in many versions. The three main ones are its body sizes:
Coupé: standard version of the Pony car
Convertible: Canvas roof version of the Coupé
Fastback: also called Sportsroof since 1969 , it is actually an extended roof, almost to the end of the trunk. This gives the Mustang an even more dynamic side.
Then came all the special series, equipped with more or less powerful engines and aesthetic additions such as “Boss”, “Shelby” or “California Special”.
In France, the Mustang became the most popular American car of the general public. The Ford France president, Henry Chemin, did a lot for the notoriety of the model, engaging him at the Monte Carlo Rally (driven by Johnny Hallyday ) and making it appear in many films, A man and a woman of Claude Lelouch of course, but also The Gendarme of St. Tropez by Jean Girault .
During this film, it is a copy of series that was used for filming, the first model arrived in France via the port of Antwerp . Its serial number is 100145 which means that it is the 145 th car that went out of production on the first day of the start of chain production on March 5, 1964 in Dearborn. The French films in which she appears are numerous and many French people, even among the non-connoisseurs, know the Mustang.
1964 – 1965
The Ford Mustang began its career on April 17, 1964, but that did not prevent it from making a sensational entrance: 22,000 units were sold the first day of its release. Note that at that time Ford innovated in that the model 65 officially began on April 17, 1964, it was a first and all these Mustang were stamped model 65. It is the collectors who named the Mustang 64 1/2 realizing the different characteristics of the cars from April to July 13, 1964. She literally crushed the scores of the Plymouth Barracuda that the Chrysler Group company boasted to have released two weeks earlier. A real myth was born, with a trendy look, a price of only $ 2,368 in its basic version equipped with a six-cylinder in-line 2.8 L coupled to a three-speed manual gearbox. Only one six-cylinder engine and two V8s were available. The Fastback bodywork came out later in mid-1964.
It was five months after its release that the 1965 model year really began, and the engine list changed completely. The main difference between the two is that the 1964 1/2 dynamo was replaced by an alternator (as on all Ford). It is also the year of release of the famous Mustang GT, called “GT Equipment Package” at the seller. She was ordered most of the time with the 225 hp V8 289 . Fog lights on the front, decals on the sills, disc brakes on the front and a dashboard with five round counters left the linear array borrowed from the Falcon.
L6 170 ci of 101 hp (1964 1/2 only)
L6 200 ci of 120 hp
V8 260 ci of 164 hp (1964 1/2 only)
V8 289 ci, double-body carburetor, 200 hp
V8 289 ci, 4-body carburetor, 225 hp
V8 289 ci of 271 hp “K-Code”
V8 289 ci of 306 hp (Shelby GT-350)
V8 289 ci of 350 hp (GT-350R)
V8 289 of 380 hp (GT-350R Paxton)
Production
Coupé: 501,965 copies
Cabriolet: 101,945 copies
Fastback: 77,079 copies
1966
There are few changes for this 1966 model ; the layout of the dashboard dials was changed to separate it further from its Ford Falcon side . In 1965, the grille was composed of the emblem surrounded by a corral with a bar on each side, these bars were removed in 1966. The Shelby GT-350 was still available but the addition of an automatic transmission away some of his racing car image. In addition, it was now available in four colors including the legendary black and gold prepared specifically for the rental company Hertz .
Funny anecdote, when Ford decided to sell his Mustang in Germany , they discovered that the name was already deposited by a German company. It asked Ford $ 10,000 to use their name, which the US firm refused. She decided to remove all “Mustang” emblems and replace them with “T-5”.
L6 200 ci of 120 hp
V8 289 ci, twin-barrel carburetor, 200 hp “C-Code”
V8 289 ci, 4-body carburetor, 225 hp “A-Code”
V8 289 ci of 271 hp “K-Code”
V8 289 ci of 306 hp (Shelby GT-350)
V8 289 ci of 360 hp (Shelby GT-350R)
1966 Production
Coupé: 499,751 copies
Cabriolet: 72 119 copies
Fastback: 35 698 copies
1967 – 1968
Ford Mustang 1967
The “small” Mustang, compared to the American standards of the time, has changed form from year to year; it has grown in volume, both body and engine. Each year there are some rare versions prepared by Shelby , the GT 500 KR of 1968 in particular.
In 1966 the main rival of the Mustang was launched: the Chevrolet Camaro . Chevrolet announces that the name comes from a French slang word, “camaro”, meaning “comrade” 3 but Ford ironically retorts that it is the name of a type of shrimp (“Camarón” means “shrimp” in Spanish). Chevrolet will say that a Camaro was “a vicious little Mustang-eating animal” 4 .
For the 1967 vintage, Ford is preparing its answer. This vintage will mark a break with the previous ones. Although the general appearance remains the same, there is an increase in aggression and sportiness (larger grille, softer look, increased size …) and this in particular to install the V8 390 ci ( cubic inches , or cubic inches ) of 320 horsepower, one of those big-blocks , to compete with the 396 of the Chevrolet. The 390 offers good acceleration but it is difficult to take the diet, heavier than 100 kilos compared to 289, but it is still a success because it is sold cheaper than the latter.
Meanwhile, Shelby aligns and will build a small range, always aligned on Ford bases: GT 350, GT500 (from 1967) with V8 428 Police Interceptor of 355 horses, then in 1968 appears the 428 Cobra Jet, the GT500 with this engine is called GT500 KR for King of Road (“King of the Road”). Considered an anthology model, the 1967-1968 vintages show an erosion of sales. The 1967 Shelby seen in the movie 60 seconds chrono is actually a Mustang modified in Shelby for the uses of the film.