Happy Birthday, Ford Mustang: PONY car turns 60 today

Happy Birthday, Ford Mustang. 60-years ago, to the day (17 April 1964), Ford unveiled the original pony car at the World’s Fair in New York. And so, a legend was born. At the time, the Mustang represented a new generation of car for Ford Motor Company.

The children of ‘boomers’ who’d returned safely from the war were now leaving home and buying their first car. The Ford Mustang was aimed at youngsters, and it was hit right from the start. In fact, it remains Ford’s longest-running nameplate in continuous production.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FORD MUSTANG

The original ’64 Ford Mustang. Image: Ford South Africa

To celebrate the occasion, the Blue Oval is holding a wide range of Mustang 60th Anniversary events around the globe. “The Mustang is one of the most iconic and revered cars in the world,” says Doreen Mashinini, General Manager for Marketing at Ford South Africa.

Over 60 years, the Ford Mustang has been an unrivalled success. In the United States, a record 418 812 Mustangs were sold in the first year. Sales topped the 1-million mark a year later, and surpassed 10-million sales in 2018. It has consistently led the sports-car segment in the US over six decades.

BEST-SELLER FOR SIX DECADES

2016 Ford Mustang was the first right-hand-drive model sold in South Africa. Image: Ford South Africa

Moreover, the Ford Mustang has enjoyed similar success in South Africa, since it was launched in 2016. This was made possible by the sixth-generation Mustang being the first produced in right-hand drive. Since then, standard models and limited editions such as the Bullitt, Mach 1 and California Special have become highly sought-after sports cars.

“Over the past eight years we’ve sold 4 060 Mustangs in South Africa. It has commanded an unrivalled 84% market share in sports cars, a remarkable achievement. And we can’t wait to build on this legacy with the new seventh-generation muscle car. The Mustang GT and exhilarating Mustang Dark Horse go on sale soon,” says Mashinini.

NEW MUSTANG COMING

2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse promises to up the muscle car ante yet again. Image: Ford South Africa

This birthday celebration precedes the launch of the seventh-generation in South Africa later this year. The new Mustang GT is powered by a fourth-generation 5.0-litre Coyote V8 that delivers 362 kW and 567 Nm of torque. Six drive modes include: Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Track and Individual.

Also arriving in 2024, the Ford Mustang Dark Horse matches sinister looks with a specially modified 5.0-litre V8 engine that ups power to 372 kW. It also features unique chassis tuning, larger sway bars and state-of-art MagneRide shocks that monitor wheel and tyre movement 1 000 times a second.

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