Ford History: Five Decades of Fast Fun with the Ford Mustang
By Larry Printz
Dealer.com
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It's
rare that a car debuts and its success creates a whole new class of car. The
Ford Mustang is that kind of car, creating the pony car class, and giving
America killer styling and breathtaking performance at an affordable price.
Indeed, many of its performance variants are just as well known, be it a Shelby, Boss, Cobra Jet, Mach 1, KR,
SVO, or GT.
Its
initial success was so remarkable, no car since has matched its initial sales
record; and few come close to matching its impact on the auto industry or
American culture.
Let's
ride through a brief history of America's prized pony.
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1964-66
Lee Iacocca, Ford Division's head honcho, wants a "good-looking,
little youth car."Â The specs: a 108-inch wheelbase, 2,500-pound curb
weight and a base price of $2,500. The result was the Mustang. Debuting on
April 17, 1964 as a coupe or convertible, a fastback coupe, engine choices
range from a 2.8-liter inline six
rated at 101 horsepower, to a four-barrel 4.7-liter V8 producing 271
horsepower. The Shelby GT350, with a 306-horsepower V8, is added in 1965.
The good: Ford sells 22,000 Mustangs on the first day; by 1966, 1 million.
The bad:Â Underneath, it is a modified version of the
humdrum Falcon.
The odd: In March 1966, a '66 Mustang is parked on the 86th-floor
observation deck of the Empire State Building.Â
Did you know? The name Cougar is considered, but
instead is used for Mercury's version of the Mustang.
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1967-70
When redesigned for 1967, the Mustang grows 2 inches longer and 2.7
inches wider. To help offset the weight gain, and tap into the booming market
for performance cars, Ford introduces its big-block engines, although the Mustang's
wheelbase and the number of body styles remain unchanged. A more luxurious Mercury
version, the Cougar, is introduced that same year.
The good: Horsepower grows to 375 by 1970.
The bad: A new Grande model, complete with a vinyl roof, debuts. It is a sign
of things to come.
The odd: Road & Track magazine calls it "chunky" and "old-fashioned."
Did you know? The Mustang's success leads to corporate
patron Lee Iacocca's promotion. He is named Ford's executive vice president of
North American Operations.
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1971-73
For its third iteration, the 1971 Mustang grows another 2 inches
longer, 3 inches wider and 400 pounds heavier. This porky pony is the largest
Mustang ever, so a new 370-horsepower, 429-cubic-inch V8 engine is placed under
the hood. This would be the last Mustang to use a Falcon platform. As before, coupe,
fastback and convertible models are available.Â
The good: High performance persisted despite the car's
growing girth.
The bad: Shelby models were discontinued, as did the big block engines after
1971.
The odd: Fifty-two red, white and blue "Olympic Sprint" convertibles are
built in 1972 for the annual cherry blossom parade in Washington, D.C.
Did you know? The '71 Mustang is developed under former GM
executive Bunkie Knudsen, who briefly joins Ford Motor Co. before being forced
out by Iacocca.
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1974-78
Looking to get back to basics, and haunted by the 1973 OPEC oil
embargo, Iacocca has 19 inches of length and 490 pounds in weight removed from
the Mustang by switching the car to the Pinto platform. An 83-horsepower,
2.3-liter four-cylinder and a 97-horsepower, 2.8-liter V6 were available. As if
the size reduction doesn't prove that this was a horse of a different color,
the vehicle is named the Mustang II.
The good: Although unloved today, Iacocca's instincts are
correct. Sales triple in 1974 as nearly 386,000 built.
The bad: No convertible is offered.
The odd: Proving that journalists sometimes get it wrong, Motor Trend
magazine named this slow horse its "Car of the Year" in 1974.
Did you know? 1974 is the only model year that a V8
engine isn't offered in a Mustang. A 5.0-liter V8 returns for 1975, rated at
122 horsepower.
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1979-93
In an effort to make a fresh statement and improve fuel efficiency,
Ford unveils a European-influenced, aerodynamic pony car for 1979. Offered as a
hatchback and notchback coupe, this Mustang is built on the new Fox platform,
which underpins the Ford Fairmont. Horsepower slowly reappears. Four-, six- and
eight-cylinder engines are offered with as much as 140 horsepower.
The good: True performance returns with the debut of the Mustang GT in 1982.
A convertible model returned in 1983. A turbocharged SVO Mustang debuts in
1984.
The bad: Despite tweaks in performance and style, the car sees few major
changes.
The odd: For 1988, Ford almost replaces the Mustang with a Mazda-built Ford
Probe. Outraged pony car fans cause the company to abandon the plan, mostly by calling
Ford execs every name in the book.
Did you know? In 1979, the Mustang is offered with its first
turbocharged engine.
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1994-2004
Having narrowly escaped death, a new Mustang appeared for 1994, just
in time for the car's 30th anniversary. The car has a slim development budget,
so the new Mustang still uses the old Fox platform and mechanicals. Instead,
much of the money is spent endowing the car with heritage styling cues from the
1960s. Offered as a coupe and convertible, the hatchback is dropped. A further
redesign appears for 1999.
The good: Performance, not fuel economy, was the
Mustang's focus as the four-cylinder engine is dropped and the V8's horsepower
grows from 240 in 1994 to 390 in 2004.
The bad: The car still uses the aging Fox platform.
The odd: A Bullitt Mustang appears in 2001 in honor of the car that actor
Steve McQueen drove in the movie of the same name more than three decades
earlier.
Did you know? In 1997, Tommy Kendall wins a record 11
consecutive victories in the Trans Am racing series driving a Mustang Cobra
before winning the championship.
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2005-2014
Although Ford designers continue to channel 1960s-era Mustangs, the
car receives its own platform, rather than using one engineered for an economy
car. Buyers can choose either a 210-horsepower V6 or a 300-horsepower V8 in
their coupe or convertible. By 2014, even V6 buyers get a fast pony. With
horsepower rated at 305, this V6 is one horsepower shy of the 1965 Shelby
GT350. At the other extreme was Shelby GT500, powered by an aluminum 5.8-liter supercharged V8.
Producing 662 horsepower, the engine is considered the world's most powerful V8
production engine.
The good: An old name returns for 2007: the Shelby GT500, powered by a
500-horsepower 5.4-liter V8. Yum.
The bad: Ford considers the ancient solid rear axle a Mustang tradition.
The odd: The Mustang's sales success leads Chevrolet and Dodge executives to
revive the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger.
Did you know? When introduced, the revamped car is so
popular that by March 2005, nearly one of every two sports cars sold in the
United States are Mustangs.
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2015-2016
Ford finally engineers a Mustang good enough to be sold worldwide,
with all models gaining a fully independent suspension. Styling is a futuristic
takeoff of the classic Mustang look, with coupes getting a European-style
double bubble roof. A 3.7-liter
double-overhead-cam V6 with 300 horsepower and a 5.0-liter DOHC V8 with 435
horsepower carry over, while a new 2.3-liter EcoBoost DOHC four-cylinder with 310
horsepower slot between the two.
The good: The Shelby GT350 returns for 2016, powered by a new 5.2-liter V8,
rated at 526 horsepower, and
429 pound-feet of torque.
The bad: Um, let me think for a minute…
The odd: Because engineers wanted to use an independent rear suspension on
all models, the entire platform had to be redesigned.
Did you know? Mustang prices start at $23,895.
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Larry Printz is Editor-In-Chief,
Automotive at Dealer.com. He can be reached at larry.printz@dealer.com.
