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Home , Ford Mustang, Shelby Mustang

50 YEARS OF THE MUSTANG | HISTORY An American Icon ew in history have generated as much excitement, enthusiasm and interest as this Fone: the . Now, as this legendary pony reaches its 50th anniver- sary, the full scope of its influ- ence on America’s automotive landscape is being felt and celebrated from coast to coast. Many events are planned for 2014 by Mustang owners, enthusiasts, dealers and the itself, marking 50 years since the Mustang was first launched in 1964. Why all the excitement? Because the Mustang has been a thrilling car for generations.

STARTING A REVOLUTION Exotic cars have always been around. From the earli- est days of the automobile, big engines, gorgeous styling and sporty performance were available to anyone with a big enough checkbook. But the Mustang has never been an exotic car. What was special about the Mustang in the beginning — and what continues to make it stand out today — is that it first introduced in the 1960s. tive fun meant in America. Mustangs through the years. Mustang’s engineers. They offers a level of style and per- It brought sports-car fun to But it’s also an amazing car found a formula that made formance that millions of the masses, whether through because it influenced the drivers fall in love with their people can actually afford. the affordable V6-powered A CONTINUING whole automotive world in a affordable cars, helping to It offers the thrill of a muscu- base models or the rarer, LEGACY big way. spawn the muscle-car revolu- lar without the high V8-powered The Mustang is remarkable Countless cars, not only in tion in the late 1960s and price that sports cars once supercars that feel at home not just because it was a sales America but also around the embracing ideas that contin- commanded, a revolutionary on the racetrack. success. Millions of people world, owe their success to ue to echo through sporty car concept when the ‘Stang was It redefined what automo- have bought and loved their the pioneering work of the designs today. 50 YEARS OF THE MUSTANG | THE LEADERS Who Was Behind It? ee Iacocca became a household name in the 1980s as Chrysler’s very public CEO, turning the company around L financially and personally pitching its cars on TV. But before Iacocca was a Deere in the 1920s, so a corporate celebrity — and, career in engineering for indeed, part of the reason Ford made perfect sense for he was able to find so much the young Frey. success in his career — is When developing the that he is widely known as Mustang in a record amount the father of the Ford of time — 18 months — Frey Mustang. also implemented many ideas that cut production costs for the car and are still EARLY LIFE widely used in the car Born to Italian immi- industry today. grants in Allentown, Pa., in By sharing most of its 1924, Iacocca found a job parts with other mass-pro- with Ford by 1946 and duced Ford models, the quickly found success in the Fairlane and Falcon, the company’s sales and mar- cost of engineering and keting efforts. tooling new parts would be By 1960, he was promoted eliminated. It also shortened to vice-president of Ford’s the learning curve for work- car and truck groups, a role ers on the assembly line and that would lead him to over- the people who would see the creation of a new car repair the Mustang, since designed for younger buyers they were already familiar in the Baby Boom genera- with its components. tion. That car would go on Finally, the Mustang used a to become the Mustang. four-seater design instead of While Iacocca champi- the two-seat layout like the oned the Mustang and was and many responsible for promoting classic sports cars, making and shepherding its initial the Mustang practical development, the day-to- enough to appeal to a much day design of it was over- larger group of buyers. seen by a different man. By the time Iacocca, Frey and the rest of the Mustang DONALD N. FREY team had finished designing Donald Frey was born it, they thought they had a with engineering in his popular car on their hands. blood. His father was a met- Little did they know just allurgist who designed the how popular it would turn and Don Frey are pictured with an early Mustang. These two men were instrumental in the Ford Model D tractor for John out to be. Mustang development program in the early 1960s. 50 YEARS OF THE MUSTANG | THE BEGINNING The First Mustang

hen it first went on sale, the Ford Motor Company estimated just under 100,000 Mustangs would sell in the first year. But W they were wrong. It turns out the Mustang FOR THE MASSES FRESH STYLE ing roofline and aggressive, quick, enjoyable car to drive sold 418,000 copies in the first The obvious answer is its Going on sale in the sum- muscular nose. in 1964. Its base engine was a year alone, breaking all kinds price. With a suggested retail mer of 1964 — earning it a Many of those same styling V6 that made 101 horsepower, of sales records and wildly price of just $2,368, virtually “1964 1/2” designation since cues would go on to set the but two V8 engines were surpassing everyone’s expec- anyone could afford to buy it, it was unveiled in the middle look and tone for many of the where the real fun was at. tations for the new car. That whereas the more traditional, of the year — the Mustang muscle-cars to come as A 260-cubic-inch V8 made original 100,000 sales target “purist” sports cars were far was an immediate hit with General Motors and Chrysler 164 horsepower, while a was surpassed in just three more expensive and less prac- consumers because it offered responded to the Mustang’s 289-cubic-inch V8 made 210 months. tical then the ‘Stang. so much style for the money. surprise success. horses. And with a more nim- Why, exactly, was this par- The Mustang was about At a time when the 1950s ble feel than most cars from ticular car such a popular more than a low price, though. tail fins had grown out of FUN the era, the new Mustang seller while other sporty Lots of cars have come with style and boxy, square, appealed to a huge number of American cars, like the low price tags through history, slab-sided cars had become PERFORMANCE drivers who wanted a sporty Corvette and Thunderbird, but few resonated with the the norm, the Mustang While it might not sound car. never saw such widespread public as much as this Ford did looked like a lot more fun. It impressive by today’s stan- It was the right car at the appeal? when it was introduced. had a two-door layout, slop- dards, the Mustang was a right time, and it would go on to change the world. 50 YEARS OF THE MUSTANG | SHELBY The King of Cobras lmost from the moment it was introduced, racers began taking the Mustang to the track. From drag strips to road racing, and Aeven serving as the pace car for the 1964 Indianapolis 500, the ‘Stang was the perfect platform to modify for speed.

And in all the Mustang’s in the hearts of American car long and glorious racing his- lovers forever. tory, one name stands above Today you can buy a Shelby the rest: Shelby. GT500 that carries on his dream of a quick, powerful monster of a car. It tops the A RACING ICON Mustang lineup with a price As a racing driver, Carroll around $55,000, but it also Shelby would have been offers more speed per dollar known for an exceptional than just about any other car career even if that was all he on the market. accomplished. He set 16 speed records in the U.S. and internationally, drove for the Maserati and Aston Martin factory teams, was Sports Illustrated’s driver of the year for two years and even competed at the pinna- cle of motor racing in . After Shelby ended his rac- ing career because of health stands with the 2007 Ford Shelby GT Mustang. issues, though, he needed to better with American-style V8 with Ford in the 1960s, help- a gigantic that was find somewhere else to utilize power. ing with racing projects that tuned to make 306 horsepow- his talents. And what he did He decided to combine the would put Ford cars on the er, the limited-production changed the racing world — two, cramming a Ford small- world stage. Cobra became legendary for and the American car indus- block V8 into a lightweight And his involvement with its speed and excitement. try — for good. sports-car body built by AC in the Mustang would create While the original Shelby Great Britain. It was the start some of today’s most desir- Mustang Cobra was only built FORD of a relationship that would able collector cars: Shelby for five years, today its legacy make Shelby world famous Mustangs. lives on. It inspired countless PARTNERSHIP and influence the direction of Shelby used the same basic other owners to modify their Shelby had a brilliant idea. the Mustang for Ford. formula that made his AC Mustangs for speed and, He knew from his driving Cobra successful in the first starting in 2007, the Shelby Carroll Shelby played a major role experience that lightweight, Mustang he modified, which name returned to the Ford in Ford’s successful racing pro- nimble British sports cars SHELBY became known as the GT350, lineup. grams of the 1960s. He is shown were quick around a race- MUSTANGS or Mustang Cobra. With the Shelby died in May 2012, here at the 24 Hours of LeMans track, but they could be even Shelby continued to work ‘Stang’s lightweight body and but his memory will remain in France in 1965. 50 YEARS OF THE MUSTANG | POPULARITY Rabid Fan Base

Thousands of Ford Mustang fans — and nearly 6,000 classic Mustangs — gathered at in North Carolina in 1999 to salute the 35th birthday of the American icon. hen you buy a Ford Mustang, you’re not just buying a car. You’re buying access to an exclusive club of car owners who W are just as passionate about their Mustang as you are. People who own Mustangs, enthusiasts than any other car all across America. CUSTOMIZING and companies that can make whether new or old ones, on the planet. Although the Mustang Club Another great thing about the job easy for you. tend to form communities Its biggest fan club, the of America is centered around the Mustang is that it’s rela- The Mustang can also make together, both online and in Mustang Club of America, a car, it tries to encourage as tively easy to upgrade and a great start for building a person. Whether your interest was founded in Georgia in much family involvement as customize for owners who race car if your hobbies is in modifying your Mustang, 1978, and it’s grown to possible. From car shows to have a bit of mechanical skill. include spending time on the restoring it, racing it or just become one of the largest car local meetings and group Aftermarket parts are plen- track. From light, street-legal babying it as your “toy,” there clubs in the world. drives, getting involved in a tiful for Mustangs of all ages. modifications to major are plenty of other people Today it has many thou- Mustang club offers camara- Whether you want to change changes designed for profes- who share your interest. derie, advice and assistance sands of members and more the body styling, upgrade the sional drivers, your ability to for all kinds of Mustang own- than 170 local and regional power under the hood or cus- customize the Mustang is ers. FAN CLUBS groups, which means there is tomize the look of your interi- only limited to your skills and The Ford Mustang has more a local chapter in major cities or, there are lots of people your budget. 50 YEARS OF THE MUSTANG | NEW DESIGN Reborn espite its incredible popularity and sales numbers in the early years, the Mustang’s history hasn’t always been filled Dwith success. In fact, there was a time it nearly died off. As the automotive market has shift- ed through the decades, Ford has experimented with changing the defi- nition of what it means to drive a Mustang. When it strayed from the original formula — power, style and afford- ability — is when the problems set in.

CHALLENGES By the late 1960s, the Mustang actu- ally had some competition, particu- larly from Chevrolet’s Camaro. It continued to evolve through the early 1970s, remaining a hot seller in the muscle-car era, until it confronted its biggest hurdle to date: the 1973 oil embargo. The Mustang had built its early suc- cess on the availability of cheap gaso- line. But as gas prices rose and reached a crisis in 1973, a heavy, fuel-hungry Mustang no longer made sense. A Ford Mustang GT from 1994 shows how the Mustang returned to its muscle-car roots. Ford responded to higher gas prices by introducing a smaller, more effi- front-wheel-drive replacement for the Ford Probe. cient Mustang called the Mustang II Mustang to be based on the Mazda Instead, Ford decided to take a risk. in 1973. Even though it was smaller MX-6, without a V8 as an option. It would redesign the Mustang for than the 1972 Mustang, though, it was It would have been the end of the 1994 with the same attributes as the still heavier thanks to new emissions Mustang as it had always been known. original car. It had an aggressive, and safety equipment. all-American body that mimicked the At the same time, new Japanese and original ‘Stang. It had rear-wheel European competitors started pour- BACK TO ROOTS drive. And yes, it was still available ing into the U.S. market in the late Fortunately for Mustang purists, the with a V8 engine. 1970s and early 1980s, offering better Mazda-based design was never used Ford had resurrected the original gas mileage than the Pinto-based as originally planned. Mustang in a modern form, and it Mustang could achieve. There was so much outrage over a would go on to become a sales suc- By the late 1980s, Ford had all but V6 powered, Japanese-designed cess once again. Today’s Mustang abandoned the original Mustang’s for- Mustang that the idea was scrapped, remains popular in large part because President Clinton checks out a 1994 Ford mula. Engineers were working on a and the Mazda-based car became the of this return to its original roots. Mustang. 50 YEARS OF THE MUSTANG | CHANGES GENERATIONS OF ‘STANGS he Ford Mustang has seen a lot of changes in its half-century of existence. Here’s a look at each model’s styling when it was intro- Tduced for a new generation.

GENERATION 1 1964-1973

GENERATION 2 GENERATION 3 1974-1978 1979-1993 50 YEARS OF THE MUSTANG | CHANGES GENERATIONS OF ‘STANGS

GENERATION 4 GENERATION 5 1994-2004 2005-2014

GENERATION 6 Ford has unfailed its newest generation Mustang for 2015, marking an all-new chapter for this iconic American performance car. 50 YEARS OF THE MUSTANG | MODERN PERFORMANCE The 2014 Mustang

hen a car has been in production for half a century, you would expect to see W lots of changes. What’s amazing about makes an incredible 420 STILL A MUSTANG today’s Mustang, though, is horsepower from its 5.0-liter Even though it’s dramatical- not just what’s changed under engine. ly different from the first the skin. It’s what’s stayed the Even the original Shelby Mustang, today’s car still has same — the spirit of a great Mustang Cobra — a classic car the same sense of adventure American car. that can command a fortune and fun that made the ‘Stang in the collector-car market — so popular in the first place. made its reputation with 306 You can feel it in the way it TECHNOLOGY horsepower. Seeing how the When the Mustang made its rumbles down the road, how it base Mustang nearly matches original debut back in 1964, brakes and changes direction, the most powerful engine you that today is remarkable. and especially from how the could get from the factory It’s also using technology to engine feels when you press made 210 horsepower. stay true to its original perfor- the gas pedal. Its throaty, The 2014 Mustang, in com- mance mission. The 2014 all-American exhaust note is parison, makes a whole lot Mustang, for example, is avail- something unforgettable for more than that even with its able with what Ford calls generations of Mustang base V6 engine. The base “Track Apps” that can measure enthusiasts. Mustang has a 305-horsepow- G-forces, acceleration times And it’s a feeling that drivers Industry-first technology on the Mustang allows drivers to monitor er V6 for 2014, while the and braking times on its 4.2- will continue to enjoy for their own acceleration, G force and braking on the track with new V8-powered Mustang GT inch LCD screen. decades to come. 4.2-inch LCD screen showing Track Apps. THE NEW MUSTANG | OVERVIEW 2015 Mustang Unveiled ALL-NEW DESIGN PAYS TRIBUTE TO HERITAGE, MOVES TO NEW HEIGHTS By Derek Price Green Shoot Media fter 50 years and more than 9 million Mustangs sold, Ford faced one of the toughest questions in the automotive world: How do A you redesign an icon? To create an all-new version like a sports car and slightly of the Mustang — perhaps less like a muscle car. Its hood America’s most iconic and appears longer and lower, popular performance car — making it more evocative of Ford’s designers and engi- the original Mustang that had neers had to balance respect a hint of European flair to its for the Mustang’s heritage design. with changes that bring it into Taken as an entire package, the modern age for 2015. The though, there’s nothing result is what you see here: a European about it. It’s a very drastically different car that in-your-face design, one that’s remains every inch a classically American without Mustang. being overly reliant on retro styling. For a car that is turning 50 FOR A NEW years old — making it one of WORLD the world’s longest cars in For better or worse, the pre- continuous production — it vious generation Mustang is looks like it has a whole lot of in many ways a relic from an life and excitement yet to earlier era. Its solid rear , come. heavyweight feel and mus- cle-car styling would have The Mustang’s design is completely new for 2015, marking a fresh generation of this iconic American car. looked right at home in the ONLINE 1960s. The new generation of an integral-link indepen- use of soft-touch materials, EXTRA Mustang changes that. While DESIGN dent rear suspension, which classy looking stitching and a Ford’s designers seem to the look is still heavily influ- should greatly improve the prominent digital display that have gotten the balancing act enced by the early Mustangs ride and handling. It also gets is neatly integrated with the right on the new Mustang’s — a good thing, in my opin- some new electronic goodies dash layout. body. It’s got a completely ion — there are changes such as adaptive cruise con- As a whole, the changes to new look with a sleeker, slip- under the skin that make it a trol and Ford’s Blind Spot the Mustang make it a more perier, cleaner shape overall, much more modern vehicle Information System with up-to-date car without sacri- but it’s still instantly recogniz- than its predecessor. cross-traffic alert. ficing the essence of what the able as a Mustang at first The Mustang’s old-school See more images of the new Its cabin also looks like a ‘Stang has always been: a fun, glance. rear suspension design has Mustang in our online video: nice improvement over the stylish car for the masses and To my eyes, the new finally been dumped in favor http://bit.ly/newmustang previous design, making more enthusiasts alike. Mustang looks slightly more THE NEW MUSTANG | POWER Fresh American Performance NEW MUSTANG ENGINES, SUSPENSION COMBINE FOR EVEN MORE FUN By Derek Price Green Shoot Media hen the Ford Mustang was introduced in 1964, it immediately became the go-to car for people who wanted to go fast and have a good time. WhileW the all-new 2015 Mustang is clearly still about speed and smiles, it’s going about that mission in a slight- ly different way. From the powerplant choices available under the hood to the way that power gets to the pave- ment, the new Mustang is in for some major performance changes when it hits the mar- ket in late 2014.

ENGINE LINEUP The Mustang’s base engine remains a 3.7-liter V6, which has proven to be a popular choice for its combination of power and fuel economy. A 5.0-liter V8 will also con- tinue to power the Mustang GT, but it gets a new valve- A three-engine lineup, including an EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder, adds to the 2015 Mustang’s appeal. train and cylinder heads that bump the power output up to 305 horsepower while getting sion will offer paddle shifters While virtually every other the old-school design. 420 horsepower, Ford says. better gas mileage ratings than mounted on the steering car has utilized independent In the 2015 Mustang, Considering the new Mustang the V6. wheel, letting drivers shift rear suspensions that offer though, that old-school rear design is widely reported to Ford’s EcoBoost engines when they want to and relax better ride and handling, the suspension is being dumped be roughly 200 pounds lighter have been well received in when they don’t. Mustang has long been a in favor of an integral-link than the old one, the perfor- many of their other products, holdout with its solid rear independent layout. That mance improvement should from the F-150 to the Focus, axle. Drag racers loved the should give the car noticeably be noticeable in the new GT. so offering the small but pow- NEW SUSPENSION solid axle because of all the better ride and handling. The biggest news under the erful turbo engine in the new Until now, the Mustang’s power it could reliably send to Ford says the new suspen- Mustang’s hood, though, is the Mustang is a logical step. rear suspension has been an the pavement under heavy sion’s geometry, dampers and addition of a turbocharged According to Ford, an anachronism, using a design acceleration, but only a small bushings have all been four-cylinder EcoBoost engine updated manual gearbox will that the vast majority of cars percentage of Mustang buyers adjusted and designed specif- to the lineup. This 2.3-liter allow for smoother shifts, abandoned for different set- do serious racing. That means ically for the Mustang’s engine is estimated to produce while the automatic transmis- ups in the 1980s and ‘90s. everyone else had to live with high-performance needs. THE NEW MUSTANG | INTERIOR Mustang Cabin Gets an Upgrade

HIGH-TECH FEATURES If the new Mustang’s look is retro, the functionality is just the opposite — contempo- rary and futuristic. Some of the features include: • Intelligent Access with push-button start • Microsoft Sync • Ford MyKey • Track Apps • Shaker Pro audio • Selectable drive modes • Launch control • • Blind Spot Information System • Cross-traffic alert — Derek Price

By Derek Price Green Shoot Media hile the Ford Mustang has traditionally been a fun car to drive, its cabin hasn’t always been its strongest point. Judging from W the pictures and descriptions of the new 2015 Mustang, though, that could be changing.

Ford’s designers started with a plus a digital screen that looks more new version has an interior that is of their feel. blank slate when creating the cabin cleanly interwoven with the rest of the heavily influenced by 1960s styling. If the build quality and materials for 2015, and the result looks like a car’s controls. With deep-set circular gauge pods, are on par with Ford’s other recently major improvement over the previous lots of chrome rings and a giant designed cars — particularly the generation ‘Stang. Photos show more prancing horse on the steering wheel, Fusion —the Mustang could end up use of soft-touch materials with RETRO LOOK the new Mustang doesn’t directly copy with one of the nicest interiors in its upscale-looking stitching on the dash, Just like the outgoing Mustang, the the 1960s cars but is clearly evocative class.