Ford Mustang is Now 10 Million Strong Worldwide
Ford Mustang achieved an automotive milestone none have ever done before. This is American history in the making.
On March 2, 1966, a white Ford Mustang convertible rolled off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan. Introduced just 23 months before, this Mustang was the millionth pony car built by Ford. It was proof that America was in the midst of a performance-centric sea change. Things were already much different than they had been in 1964. They would never be the same again.
A recent Bloomberg article highlights the milestone and provides some serious eye candy with a trove of vintage promotional photos. As they point out, the Mustang’s appearance in over 3,300 movies and TV shows over the years has only cemented its legacy as one of the automotive world’s true icons.
It also shows how far we’ve come. In 1964, the base straight-six-powered Mustang made do with just 101 horsepower. Today, the base 2.3-liter EcoBoost ‘Stang cranks out an impressive 310 horsepower. And while the iconic 1965 Shelby GT350 made 306 horses back in the day, a modern GT350 makes an incredible 526 ponies. They may not make them like they used to, but they sure are a lot faster today.
For 54 years, the FordMustang has been the only pony car to remain in continuous production. It’s been through its ups and downs, but overall, it’s had more good years than bad. And as of August 8th, there have now been 10 million of them in the world.
Sure, the pace has slowed a little since those hectic first few years, but it’s also proof that people still want a sporty, personal coupe that can be anything from a luxury-oriented cruiser to an all-out performance monster. And it isn’t just Americans either – the current car is incredibly popular in Europe and China.
“Mustang is the heart and soul of this company and a favorite around the world,” said Jim Farley, president of global markets, Ford Motor Company, in a recent press statement. “I get the same thrill seeing a Mustang roll down a street in Detroit, London or Beijing that I felt when I bought my first car – a 1966 Mustang coupe that I drove across the country as a teenager. Mustang is a smile-maker in any language.
In all, the Bloomberg article just reinforces why we love Mustangs so much. Just about every generation has their champions. Everyone loves the classic first-gens. Fox Mustangs are a staple at drag strips across America. SN95s and New Edge cars are performance bargains. And cars from the S197 on have just gotten better and better. Hell, we know the Ford Mustang II was a dog, but we can’t help but kind of like them in T-Top hatchback guise.
Kudos to Ford for its big milestone. We can’t wait to see what the Mustang looks like in a few million more cars.
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