the history of the ford mustang
Falcon McCluer
There are times, in rare instances, that a fad turns a corner and becomes something more. The Beatles are a good example of this phenomenon. They invaded U.S. soil with their long hair and rock music. Many parents hoped that they were a fad that would eventually fade away, but instead, the Beatles went on to influence music for decades. The Beatles became a cultural icon and set the pace for rock music, as we now know it.
The Ford Mustang is another cultural icon. It was one of the first muscle cars and it raised the bar when it came to performance and handling. The unveiling of the Ford Mustang in April, 1964 sent other car manufacturers scrambling to create their own versions of high performance cars, but the Pony car was in a class by itself. The Ford Mustang did for cars what the Beatles did for rock music - it set a standard by which all other muscle cars would be compared.
>From the moment that the Ford Mustang rolled off of the production line, it was America's sweetheart. The unveiling of the Mustang is now considered one of the most successful product launches in automotive history. The campaign that led up to the unveiling and the unveiling itself generated a great deal of excitement with the American public.
So much buzz was generated within the fist 18 months that more than one million units were sold. As with other highly popular products that have enchanted the public throughout history, legends surround the Mustang. There are stories of men sleeping at the dealership in their Mustang while waiting for their checks to clear. Other equally interesting stories surround the All American car.
Ford's marketing campaign was not only genius for its day, but it was also one of the most profitable in history. The day before unveiling the Mustang, Ford ran Mustang commercials on the three major networks, ABC, NBC, and CBS, at 9:30 p.m. This created the buzz about the car that would eventually lead to a buying frenzy. The following day, April 17, 1964, the Ford Mustang was unveiled at the World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York.
The Ford Pavilion housed the unveiling. When Henry Ford II introduced Walt Disney's Magic Skyway ride he also introduced the Mustang. On the ride, the guests rode in Ford vehicles as they rode through history.
The early Mustangs came with four engine options, one of which was the 289 cubic inch High Performance V 8 with 271 horsepower. The American public got its first taste of a real muscle car and they were hooked. Dealerships were inundated with people who wanted to be among the first to own the Ford Mustang.
The very first Mustang off of the production line was a Wimbledon White convertible that sported a 260 cubic inch V 8. Its VIN was 5F08F100001. This now historic little car first made its rounds as a promotional tool for Ford and the Mustang until Stanley Tucker, an airline captain from Canada, acquired it.
Mustang 5F08F100001 spent some time in Canada with captain Tucker when it was reclaimed by the Ford Motor Company. In 1966, Donald Shelly, who at the time was the executive director of the Henry Ford Museum requested the acquisition of little Mustang 5F08F100001 because they anticipated that the Ford Mustang would become a milestone car in the automotive industry. Boy, were they right!
Follow the http://fordmustanghistory.org/ history of the Ford Mustang through its thrilling, varied history and explore the site for true Mustang enthusiasts. For all things Mustang, from conception to current visit http://fordmustanghistory.org/the-history-of-the-ford-mustang/) Ford Mustang History
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