Cars and Drivers
20 Facts That Make the Ford Mustang America's Most Iconic Car
Published:
As one of the most popular vehicles in American history, the Ford Mustang is every bit the iconic vehicle you have seen in movies, books, and television shows. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024, it’s hard to imagine that any vehicle model could last as long as the Ford Mustang, especially one with such an illustrious career as one of Ford’s most popular cars.
The Ford Mustang is every bit the American “Pony Car.” There is something about the Ford Mustang that makes it feel very American since it was initially manufactured in Detroit. The Ford Mustang name is one of the longest-running nameplates in the United States. Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; get started by clicking here here.(Sponsor)
Key Points
The Ford Mustang is undoubtedly a cultural icon, having taken many different forms over its various generations. While not every Mustang release has been a home run, there is little debate over whether there is a dedicated audience that loves everything Ford releases with Mustang and will look to buy every model.
20. Best-Selling Sports Car
- Source: Ford Media
According to a March 27, 2024 press release, the Ford Mustang entered its seventh decade as America’s best-selling sports car. The car had held this title for years as it was still selling tens of thousands of models every year.
19. Longest-Running Nameplate
- Source: Ford
Ford’s website makes no attempts to hide the idea that the Mustang is the company’s longest-running nameplate. As a company that is a part of American culture and one of the most celebrated brands in automobile history, having the Mustang in constant production since 1964 should be celebrated.
18. Postage Stamp
- Source: United States Postal Service
In 1966, as the Mustang celebrated its unprecedented success for Ford, the United States Postal Service took note. Ford built a one-off Mustang model to be celebrated as a postage stamp.
17. Globally Recognized
- Source: Ford International
According to Ford, the Mustang is sold in over 100 countries, making it one of history’s most recognizable American vehicles. There is a good chance that when someone sees a Mustang driving somewhere around the world, there is an instant connection between it and America.
16. Michigan Built
- Source: Ford Media
What makes the Mustang unquestionably American is that it has long been built in America, specifically, assembly lines in Dearborn, Michigan, which are closely tied to the heart of American automobile progress.
15. World Fair Debut
- Source: History.com
The Ford Mustang’s official debut occurred on April 17, 1964, when it was displayed at the World’s Fair in New York. This event focused on celebrating American progress and the future of American optimism about the world, something Ford hoped the Mustang would convey.
14. One Million Sales
- Source: Mustang Maniac
In an incredible feat, the sales numbers for the Ford Mustang show just how beloved it was all across America. Selling one million cars in 24 months isn’t easy, and it became the fastest time any new vehicle nameplate achieved such a high sales number.
13. Electric Mustang
- Source: Ford
Ford knew it had to do something with the Mustang to keep up with the changing automobile market, so the Mustang Mach-E was born. First released in 2021, the Mach-E is a Mustang crossover that brings everything you know about the “Pony Car” into the electric age.
12. “Pony Car”
- Source: Slash Gear
While the “muscle car” is every bit American, the Ford Mustang coined a new name in the automobile world along with vehicles like the Pontiac GTO. Now, the “Pony Car” would be forever remembered by the birth of the Mustang, even as cars like the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, and Dodge Challenger all gave this nickname credibility as well.
11. Hot Wheels
- Source: CountryGoing.com
A beloved American toy, the Ford Mustang was released as a Hot Wheel in 1968, which meant that it was in the homes of millions of kids all around the country. This was one of the first ways the Mustang would be ingrained in the minds of children who would grow up to buy Mustangs, having had its poster on their walls for years.
10. Like The Plane
- Source: CountryGoing.com
The Ford Mustang name is believed to be shared with the P-51 Mustang, the American fighter plane that helped win World War II. The airplane’s fast speed, which gave it an edge in the war, helped influence the vehicle’s muscle car spirit.
9. The Bullitt Mustang
- Source: CountryGoing.com
One of the most iconic Ford Mustangs in history, the 1968 Steve McQueen Bullitt Mustang that famously appeared in the movie, was once thought to be lost forever. However, the car resurfaced in 2017 after being found in a family garage and sold for an eye-popping $3.7 million once wholly restored.
8. Mustang In Manhattan
- Source: Boyd Coddington Wheels
As part of the Mustang’s initial launch in 1964, Ford undertook a “Mustang in Manhattan” marketing strategy that showed the car at various Manhattan hot spots. This campaign resonated with the American public and created excitement and buzz around its release. However, the most notable part of this campaign was when Ford put a Mustang on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building.
7. Welcome Price Tag
- Source: Boyd Coddington Wheels
The Ford Mustang’s original price tag was $2,368 in 1964, approximately $24,265 in 2025 dollars. Buyers welcomed the affordable price so much that the Mustang sold a whopping 22,000 units on its first day of availability. Ford only expected to sell around 100,000 models in the first year, but because of the price tag, it sold over 400,000.
6. Pace Car
- Source: Mustang Maniac
Further solidifying the Ford Mustang as an American icon, it has been the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 on three occasions, including 1964, 1979, and 1994. In 2011, it debuted as the pace car for the Daytona 500.
5. Continuous Production
- Source: Mustang Maniac
The Ford Mustang is surprisingly one of less than 10 nameplates in American automobile manufacturing history. It has survived production for over 50 years without missing a single model year, which is quite an achievement for a beloved American brand.
4. American Logo
- Source: CaroleNash.com
The Mustang’s iconic logo is often said to be related to the love of the American West. However, according to some insider reports, the horse is believed to represent American expansion and freedom.
3. Hollywood Famous
- Source: Dubizzle.com
As one of Hollywood’s most famous vehicles, the Ford Mustang has appeared in movies over 33,000 times. From its first appearance in “Goldfinger,” to famously appearing in “Bullitt,” the Mustang has also appeared in “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “Need for Speed,” “The Princess Diaries,” and many other films.
2. An American Name
- Source: Mustang Maniac
During the development stages of the Ford Mustang, Ford and its agency debated between multiple names for the vehicle. What could have been the Ford Cougar was ultimately the Mustang because, according to one executive, “it had the excitement of wide open spaces and was American as all hell.”
1. Best Selling Year
- Source: Hagerty.com
Americans were so hungry for something special in the automobile industry that they ate up the Mustang. In fact, with 680,969 models sold in 1965, only its second year of release, it remains its best-selling year ever.
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