The Ford Mustang
The Ford Motor Company gave birth to the Mustang on April 17, 1964 and applied a sticker price of $2,368. Almost immediately, car dealers were flooded with requests. Initially, Ford estimated approximately 100,000 units would be sold for the year. On the very first day, happy salesmen sold almost 23,000 vehicles. Aside from the impressive sales numbers, the fledgling car was officially deemed a success when it was chosen to be the pace car for the 1964 Indianapolis 500.
Miraculously, sales of the Mustang rose to about 417,000 its first 12 months on the market. By 1966, sales had rocketed to one million!
The Mustang Post-Debut
The launch of the 1965 Mustang was in the works. Confident its new sporty vehicle would be a success, Ford had little doubt the car would reach its sales numbers. Customers’ reaction to the 1965 Mustang far exceeded Ford’s expectations. The frenzy was coined “Mustang Fever” and soon was an epidemic all across the United States.
Auto historians tell accounts of the frenzy. A dealer in Chicago had to lock his doors to prevent people from flooding his showroom and damaging the cars. A small retailer in Pittsburgh hoisted his only Mustang on a lube rack, but couldn’t lower it until several hours later. A Texas dealer was in a fantastic predicament. Fifteen customers wanted to buy the same vehicle, so the Mustang had to be auctioned. Not taking any chances, the customer with the winning bid actually slept in the vehicle until his check cleared.
Similar stories happened all over the country and understandably so. The Ford Mustang was impressive and reasonably priced. Dealers could not get their hands on the vehicles fast enough. Early models didn’t depreciate at all, selling at or above retail.
The ante set by Ford the first year was raised. The head of Ford, Lee Iacocca, estimated 240,000 would be sold in 1965. Astoundingly, even that figure was conservative. Customers purchased nearly 100,000 Mustangs in four months. By mid-September, that number has grown to a mountainous 680,000. The following March, Ford built its millionth model.
Mustang had the Magic Formula
Even though the Mustang was an unparalleled success, it still had its detractors. Some automotive experts and car enthusiasts felt the Mustang was nothing more than a modest Ford Falcon beneath a flashy exterior. It’s true, the original Mustang used several components of the Falcon to reach its low price point. But the coupe released in 1965 had augmentations that included torque boxes designed for power and support for both the chassis and workings in the body. The entire structure of the vehicle was strengthened by the resourceful use of ribs and reinforcements. But none of that mattered, especially to customers. Numbers don’t lie and the car was a hit.
The magic of the vehicle was that it was unique and stood out but was a car for everyone. Women bought Mustangs with as much fervor as men.
The Mustang was the first in a class of automobile called the “pony car”, which was a group of American muscle cars that were inexpensive sporty coupes with short rear decks and longer hoods. They provided competition for the Chevy Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, the AMC Javelin, and the Pontiac Firebird.
