The Mustang Arrives in Europe
The Stang finally arrives on our shores, we take a look at the history of Ford's original muscle car and the things that you may have never knew!
July 27, 2015
You may have not heard, as it hasn’t really been mentioned but the Ford Mustang is marking its 50th anniversary by finally making its way across the Atlantic! As expected, we are ridiculously excited about the release and we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of the muscle car at a one off event at our Ford branch in Leicester. The countdown is now on as Ford has taken to social media with a series of videos and facts in anticipation ahead of the release this autumn. We take a look at the history of the iconic pony and what the launch of the all American muscle car in Europe will mean for the future of Ford.
The first Mustang was unveiled at the New York World’s Fair on April 17th 1964. The car became a staple of American patriotism and the ultimate muscle car selling over one million units in the first eighteen months of being on market! It has also featured in over 500 movies and TV programmes and referenced in songs and media. It made its debut in the Bond classic ‘Goldfinger’ in 1965, was referenced in the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time for ‘Mustang Sally’ and even Barbie had her own stretch convertible ‘Stang in hot pink!
Despite the Mustang being fast, inexpensive and looking the part, what made the Mustang so popular? The Mustang introduced sporty undertones and attractive styling to the U.S market, not to mention the growling thunder of the engine. The sleek design, side scallops, taillights, low body and of course the running horse logo became recognisable attributes that fuelled American’s passion.
Over Its fifty year reign it has become a worldwide icon ever since acquiring 22,000 US orders on its first day of sale back in 1964. It quickly became one of the most successful model launches within automotive history.
Although there’s no mistaking that the European right-hand drive is still a Mustang, it does also offer a sophisticated new chassis. This is so that driving dynamics and performance are optimised for European drivers. More than 2,200 orders have already been placed, which so far is quite a lot, considering the price and large engines that are usually taxable.
The Ford Mustang 2015 is the sixth generation version of the Mustang and the first that has been available to the rest of the world in its fifty year history. This is reflected in Alan Mullay’s One Ford plan to ensure that Ford’s first-class products are available world-wide. "The Mustang\'s formidable reputation for performance and its iconic status as a symbol of freedom and optimism precedes it even in those parts of the world where the car has never been sold," said Stephen Odell, Ford executive vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa.
