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Eggert, Ford Division market research manager, first suggested the Mustang name.
#Mustang crossover driver
The Mustang I made its formal debut at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York, on October 7, 1962, where test driver and contemporary Formula One race driver Dan Gurney lapped the track in a demonstration using the second "race" prototype. Najjar co-designed the first prototype of the Ford Mustang known as the " Ford Mustang I" in 1961, working jointly with fellow Ford stylist Philip T. 2.1 Non-traditional (1964½) introductionĮxecutive stylist John Najjar, who was a fan of the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane, is credited by Ford with suggesting the name.Through its production, multiple nameplates have been associated with the Ford Mustang series, including GT, Mach 1, Boss 302/429, Cobra (separate from Shelby Cobra), and Bullitt, along with "5.0" fender badging (denoting 4.9 L OHV or 5.0 L DOHC V8 engines). Since 2005, Ford has produced two generations of the Mustang, each using a distinct platform unique to the model line. From 1979 until 2004, the Mustang shared its Fox platform chassis with 14 other Ford vehicles (becoming the final one to use the Fox architecture). From 1974 until 1978, the Mustang (denoted Mustang II) was a longer-wheelbase version of the Ford Pinto. From 1965 to 1973, the Mustang was derived from the 1960 Ford Falcon compact. The Mercury Cougar was launched in 1967 as a unique-bodied higher-trim alternative to the Mustang during the 1970s, it included more features and was marketed as a personal luxury car.įrom 1965 until 2004, the Mustang shared chassis commonality with other Ford model lines, staying rear-wheel-drive throughout its production. The Mustang also had an effect on designs of coupés worldwide, leading to the marketing of the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri in the United States (the latter, by Lincoln-Mercury).
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The success of the Mustang launch led to multiple competitors from other American manufacturers, including the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird (1967), AMC Javelin (1968), and Dodge Challenger (1970). In August 2018, Ford produced the 10-millionth Mustang matching the first 1965 Mustang, the vehicle was a 2019 Wimbledon White convertible with a V8 engine. Introduced on Ap (16 days after the Plymouth Barracuda), over 400,000 units in its first year the one-millionth Mustang was sold within two years of its launch. Originally predicted to sell 100,000 vehicles yearly, the 1965 Mustang became the most successful vehicle launch since the 1927 Model A. The namesake of the " pony car" automobile segment, the Mustang was developed as a highly styled line of sporty coupes and convertibles derived from existing model lines, initially distinguished by "long hood, short deck" proportions. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selling Ford car nameplate. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate.
#Mustang crossover series
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford.
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