What made the Mustang an icon?
Some may attribute the Mustang's success to being introduced at the right time for the right generation, though that maybe true, its only the tip of the iceberg.
It was a relatively unknown car outside the US but the Mustang made Ford a dominant brand in the world of muscle cars. It was a car that was introduced at the right time and for the right generation. Through the Mustang, Ford put high-performance cars within the reach of the average Joe. High-revving drag racing V8 powered muscle cars were no longer a dream to own, but a reality.
Prior to the introduction of the Mustang, American cars were big heavy machines that were styled to appeal to older generations such as your dad and granddad. When the Mustang was unveiled, there wasn’t anything like it in the world. Thousands of people clamoured around Ford dealerships across America just so that they could catch a glimpse of one. It caused such a stir that it was even featured in an issue of TIMES magazine.
In typical Ford fashion, the introduction of the Mustang brought about something unheard of: the options list. Every Mustang customer could have a say in what he or she wanted in the car including the choice of mechanicals. You could choose to have the car as a hardtop, coupe or a convertible. There were also a number of engine options too choose from ranging from rather mediocre six-cylinder ones to awesome sounding V8 powerplants. Apart from that you had a say in the suspension setup, brakes and body colour, as well as with or without power steering. Things that we take for granted today were revolutionary back then.
The Mustang wasn’t a revolutionary product. A lot of it, even the mechanicals were from Falcons and Fairlanes of the day. That was a good move because by sharing parts with other Ford vehicles, build costs could be reduced and spare parts would be readily available.
Despite not having very good handling, what made the Mustang an instant hit was that it looked youthful and unconventional. And because of the options list, the car could be customised to suit your individual taste.
A convertible with a modest six-cylinder engine was the perfect car for your mum or sister. A more grown up hardtop with a 4.3-litre V8 engine maybe the car for your dad and with costs being as low as $2,368 for the base Mustang, it was a car for your neighbour as well.
Ford even made performance versions such as the GT350 and the GT500. These were Mustangs that could deliver supercar-like acceleration but with a fraction of the price tag. As such, many of them were taken racing all across America and because they were relatively inexpensive, it wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to put one right should you wreck it.
You didn’t have to even buy one as you could visit your local rent-a-car dealership and rent one for the weekend. Before the Mustang went on sale, Ford estimated that it would be able to sell about 100,000 cars within the first year. The Blue Oval was in for a big surprise as sales figures for the Mustang past that mark within three months of its launch. After 18 months, more than one million Mustangs were produced, a testament to the car’s popularity.
Till this day the Mustang holds the record for being the fastest selling car of all time. No car before or since has ever come close to being as appealing and it’s because of the Mustang you and I got to know the options list.
Since then, Ford has been famous for offering high performance cars with relatively affordable price tags. Vehicles like the Escort Cosworth RS owe their existence to cars like the Mustang. It made break-neck acceleration attainable for the common man, something we gear heads thank God for everyday.
