Produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1964 to 1973 it was originally based on the Ford Falcon compact. The first production Mustang rolled off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964, and was introduced to the public at the New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964, via all three American television networks on April 19, and made an appearance in the James Bond film Goldfinger in September of 1964. It was one of the most successful product launches in automotive history.

The Ford Mustang created a new "pony car" class of cars by adapting the "long hood, short deck" look of sports cars to compact sedans. The Plymouth faithful stress that their Barracuda beat the Ford Mustang to market by two weeks. But it was the Mustang, which racked up over 22,000 sales its first day and one million sales in its first 18 months on the market, that turned the market and people's attention to the pony car. It spawned many competitors such as the Chevrolet Camaro, and inspired smaller import coupes such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri. The latest (Fifth Generation) Ford Mustang has also been used as the new avatar of KITT in Knight Rider 2008. The Mustang has remained in continuous production to present day after many decades and numerous revisions. The pony car class that the Ford Mustang helped create is the only class of muscle car that still exists today.


The Industry Reacts
In the Mustang's first two years of production, three Ford Motor Company plants in Milpitas, California; Dearborn, Michigan; and Metuchen, New Jersey produced nearly 1.5 million Mustangs. It was a tremendous success that left General Motors utterly unprepared and the Chrysler Corporation only slightly less so. Chrysler had just introduced the Plymouth Barracuda a few weeks before, and though the "'Cuda" would grow into one of the most revered muscle cars of all time, it started out at as just a Plymouth Valiant with a hastily grafted fastback rear window. As for GM, they were certain that they had a Mustang fighter in the rear-engine Corvair Monza, but sales figures didn't even come close. The Monza was a fine performer, but it lacked a V8 engine and its reputation had been tarnished by Ralph Nader. It took GM until the 1967 model year to counter with the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. Even Lincoln-Mercury joined the fray in 1967 with the introduction of an "up market Mustang" (and subsequent Motor Trend Car of the Year), the Mercury Cougar. The Cougar name had originally been given to the Mustang during the development phase. In 1968, American Motors (AMC) would introduce the Javelin and later, the 2-seat high-performance AMX. This genre of small, sporty, and often powerful automobiles was unofficially dubbed the "pony car" as a tribute to the car that started it all.

Ford Mustang 1st Generation (1964 to 1973)

First conceived by Ford product manager Donald N. Frey and championed by Ford Division general manager Lee Iacocca, the Mustang prototype was a two-seat, mid-engine roadster. This would later be remodeled as a four-seat car penned by David Ash and John Oros in Ford's Lincoln–Mercury Division design studios, which produced the winning design in an intramural design contest called by Iacocca. To cut down the development cost, the Ford Mustang was based heavily on familiar, yet simple components. Much of the chassis, suspension, and drive train components were derived from the Ford Falcon and Fairlane. It came with an obligatory back seat and a multitude of options that would give the buyer an opportunity to customize their purchase, and generate extra profits for Ford. The car had a unitized platform-type frame, which was taken from the 1964 Falcon, and welded box-section side rails, including welded cross members. Although hardtop Mustangs were the majority of the sales, durability problems with the new frame led to the unusual step of engineering the (necessarily less rigid) convertible first, which ensured adequate stiffness. Overall length of the Mustang and Falcon was identical, although the Mustang's wheelbase was slightly shorter. With an overall width of 68.2 in (1732 mm), it was 2.4 in (61 mm) narrower, yet the wheel track was nearly identical. The Mustang featured both a lower seating position and overall height. Shipping weight, about 2570 lb (1170 kg) with the six-cylinder engine, was also similar. A fully-equipped GT V8 model weighed about 3000 lb (1360 kg) with its "mandatory optional" four-speed. Though most of the mechanical parts were taken directly from the Falcon, the Mustang's body shell was completely different; sporting a shorter wheelbase, wider track, lower seating position, and overall height. An industry first, the "torque box" was an innovative structural system that greatly stiffened the Ford Mustang's construction and helped contribute to better handling.

Despite its runaway success, some automotive experts could muster only qualified enthusiasm for the Ford Mustang as most of the mechanical parts were taken directly from the Falcon, but the new car ushered in an era of automotive personalization that was key to its success and the numerous options contributed to the gross profits for Ford Motor Company. Buyers loved its low price, long hood, short trunk styling, and its myriad of options. Ford loved its high volume sales and visibility..


Ford Mustang 1964 ½ to 1965
Since it was introduced five months before the normal start of the production year, this first model has become widely known, although incorrectly, as the 1964 1/2 model. A more accurate description is the "early 1965" model, as the car underwent several significant changes at the start of the regular model year. All the early cars, however, were touted as 1965 models. The Ford Mustang debuted as a simple sports car originally named for the fighter plane, (P-51 Mustang). Early references were made to the horse, and the horse motif quickly became the emblem for the Mustang. The base model hardtop with its 170 cu in (2.8 Ltr) straight-6 engine and three-speed manual transmission listed for US$2,368.

Some minor changes to the Mustang occurred at the start of the normal 1965 model year production, five months after its introduction. These cars are known as "late 65's," and were built from April through September. First, there was an almost complete change to the engine lineup. The I6 engine made way for a new 200 cu in (3.3 Ltr) version that produced 120 hp (89 kW). Production of the 260 cu in (4.3 Ltr) engine ceased with the traditional end of the 1964 model year. It was replaced with a new 200 hp (150 kW) 289 cu in (4.7 Ltr) engine with a two-barrel carburetor as the base V8. A 225 hp (168 kW) four-barrel carbureted version was next in line, followed by the unchanged "Hi-Po" 271 hp (202 kW) 289. The DC electrical generator was replaced by a new AC alternator on all Fords (the quickest way to distinguish a 1964 1/2 from a 1965 is to see if the alternator light on the dash says "GEN" or "ALT"). The now-famous Ford Mustang GT was introduced as the "GT Equipment Package" and included a V8 engine (most often the 225 hp (168 kW) 289), grille-mounted fog lamps, rocker panel stripes, and disc brakes. A four-barrel carbureted engine was now available with any body style. Additionally, reverse lights were an option added to the car in 1965. The Mustang was originally available as either a hardtop or convertible, but during the car's early design phases a fastback model was strongly considered. The Mustang 2+2 fastback made its inaugural debut with its swept-back rear glass and distinctive ventilation louvers.

The standard interior features of the 1965 Mustang included adjustable driver and passenger bucket seats, an AM radio, and a floor mounted shifter in a variety of color options. Throughout the 1965 model year, Ford continued to add to the Mustang's interior options. The Interior Decor Group was popularly known as "Pony Interior" due to the addition of embossed running ponies on the seat fronts, and also included integral armrests, wood grain appliqu Yahoo: new sports cars Ford Mustang History The First Generation 1964 to 1973 new sports cars Ford Mustang
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