The Exciting History of the Classic Mustangs, How the Legend Began!

For many car enthusiasts, the Mustang is considered to be one of the top guns. But how did this popular vehicle really come to be? Well, it all started back in April of 1964.  Ford’s General Manager, Lee Iacocca, always had the idea of having a medium sized sports car and endorsing it as the next big thing in street wars. But Ford decided to take things a step further and introduce an all new kind of automobile. What became of Iacocca’s initial idea is the "Pony Car." It was designed, initially, as a two-seater following the European-style but a business-savvy Iacocca realized that the failure or success of this new model relied on quantity sales. Thus the design was changed further and the Ford Mustang was modeled after the Falcon, which was compact in design, so that production costs could be lowered. This new vehicle was first named P-51, after the famous fighter plane. But many comparisons were made to the Mustang, a breed of horse, and it eventually became both emblem and motif to the cars. True to its namesake, the Mustang sold 22,000 units on the very first day of its debut and went on to sell a million more within the next couple of years, thus gaining the attention of both the industry and car enthusiasts during that time.

By the time 1966 came rolling in, the Mustang developed yet again. They changed the design of the gauge cluster to differentiate the Mustang from the Falcon. The 260 cid V8 was also replaced with 2 and 4 barrel types of the 289 cid V8. A year later, a total facelift occurred in the design of the Mustang. These changes included a bulkier sheet metal below its beltline, a meaner grille, a hollow tail panel, and a fastback roofline for the fastback design of the vehicle’s body. These 1967 Shelby’s were more refined in terms of design. They 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 models made after 1967 were manufactured by Ford with minimal involvement for Shelby. In 1968, the Mustang underwent some more changes. The grille was changed into something simpler and its 427 engines were detuned but even still, they were enough to get people’s attention when cruising down the streets. Also in the same year was when Ford unveiled what was to be their most infamous engine ever. The 428 Cobra Jet, as it was called, was rumored 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 modifications were done to the original Mustang design. In 1969, the Shelby’s that were available 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 total performance vehicle were drawing to a close. This would also be the only year that Ford’s performance was considered to be weakening. In 1973, a number of mishaps and changes in the rules forced changes to the design of the Mustang as well. This time, what used to be a vehicle oriented for performance premiered a new model, the Mustang II, with no claims to anything as spectacular as what its predecessors had done.
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Eric Buck has been an avid automotive enthusiast all his life, being raised having direct participation with his father’s car dealerships. He has created a website for you to find the lowest prices and best selection of Ford Mustangs for sale on the internet. Check it out at =>http://www.MustangsForSale.info and find the Mustang of your dreams!