Milestones
The Ford Mustang was originally designed as a sports car that combines performance, style and affordable driving pleasure. The idea behind the Mustang was to create a vehicle that not only served as a means of transportation, but also created an emotional connection with the driver. The Mustang was first introduced in 1964 and quickly became a symbol of freedom, adventure and the allure of American automotive design.
1962
Ford Mustang Concept
The Mustang debut: The Ford Mustang I Concept debuted in 1962 as a small roadster with a V4 mid-engine. A year later, the II Concept already had the rough layout and design of the Mustang series product.
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1963
Ford Mustang Concept II
Lee Iacocca led the development of an affordable two-seat sports car at Ford. However, due to low sales forecasts due to the two-seater concept, Ford chose the 1963 Mustang II. This model featured four seats and a more conventional design, with only the side vents retained from the original concept.
March 1964
Ford Mustang No. 1
The first Mustang off the assembly line. The 1964½, as it was later called, was only available in two models: a coupe and a convertible. A total of 121,538 Ford Mustangs were produced in the 1964½ model series.
April 1964
Ford Mustang debut
The Mustang's grand debut took place on April 14, 1964 to the press and April 17, 1964 to the general public. The official unveiling took place in the New York World's Fair's largest exhibition area, the Ford Pavilion, also known as the Wonder Rotunda.
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1964
Pink Playboy Mustang
1964 marked the appearance of the Ford GT Concept and the legendary Mustang. Then 19-year-old Donna Marie was crowned the first Playmate of the Year and received a 1964 ½ Mustang in “Playmate Pink,” $100,000 cash and other gifts. In 1967, the Mustang was available from the factory in two shades of pink – “Playboy Pink” and “Dusk Rose”.
1965
The first Fastback
The '65 model introduced the Fastback 2+2 body, complementing the existing hardtop and convertible.
1966
The rental car GT350H
Ford and Shelby entered into a contract with car rental company Hertz to develop the GT350H. Based on the Shelby GT350, the GT350H featured a tuned 289 V8 engine producing 306 horsepower and 329 lb/ft of torque. The car was extremely capable, with a 0-60mph time of 6.6 seconds and a quarter mile time of 15.2 seconds, as recorded by Car and Driver. One thousand GT350H Fastbacks were produced and rented through the Hertz Sports Car Club.
1966
Le Mans
In order to strengthen the Ford brand among the post-war generation, Henry Ford II plans to invest more in racing. He is trying to take over Ferrari, who dominate the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After Ferrari rejects the offer, Ford decides to beat Ferrari at Le Mans. He commissions racing driver Carroll Shelby to develop a prototype of the Ford GT40.
In 2019, the story was filmed under the title “Le Mans 66 – Against Every Chance”.
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1967
The first GT500
The first GT500 was introduced in 1967. Based on the 1967 Mustang, it had a 428 cubic inch, 7.0-liter V8 engine with 355 horsepower. Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph took 6.5 seconds and the quarter mile was completed in 15 seconds at 95 mph.
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1967
Super Snake
Carroll Shelby built the Mustang GT 500 Super Snake on behalf of Dunlop. The tire manufacturer was looking for a really fast car to prove the durability of the new “Thunderbolt” tire. The GT 500 got the 7-liter V8 racing engine from the Ford GT 40.
Click on the image to see the film excerpt
Click on the image to see the film excerpt
1968
Steve McQueen Bullitt
The film Bullitt achieved particular fame due to one of the longest Chases the film story between a 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback and a Dodge Charger R/T in and at San Francisco. The approximately three weeks of filming resulted in a sequence of almost ten minutes that contains no dialogue.
February 1968
California Special
In mid-February 1968, California Ford dealers began marketing the limited-edition Mustang GT/CS, or "California Special." The planned production quantity of 5,000 units was not achieved; instead, only 4,118 vehicles were manufactured. Of these, 251 units were marketed in Denver, Colorado as "High Country Special '68". Today these vehicles are extremely sought after by classic car collectors.
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Click on the image to see the film
1969
The first Mach I and Boss
1969 marked an era of growth for the Mustang, both in size and weight. New models such as the powerful Mach 1 and the luxurious Grande were introduced. The '69 Mustang brought with it a host of new engine options, including the 250, 351, 302 Boss and the impressive 429 Boss.
1969
TransAm successes
Allan Moffat's unforgettably iconic 1969 Trans Am Mustang is considered a legend in Australian motorsport. With 101 victories in 151 races, he dominated the scene and still impresses today as a crowd favorite and a valued part of the Bowden Car Collection.
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