An American icon was born on this day in 1964. A sexy,
fast, lightweight little pony with just a pinch of European elegance debuted at the 1964
World’s Fair. Ford’s affordable car, the Mustang, instantly delighted Americans of all ages. Named after the
renowned World War II fighter aircraft, the Mustang was “designed to be designed by you.”
This meant that you could buy the coupe or convertible with your choice of a six-cylinder
engine with 101 horsepower, a 164 horsepower V-8, or a 210 horsepower V-8 engine. Did you
want three-speed, four-speed or automatic transmission? Maybe you preferred front bucket
seats or the front bench-style seat. Whatever your choice, your $2,368 bought you a spiffy
new car with wall-to-wall carpeting, floor-mounted shifter and full headliner. A package
that included that shiny racing mustang right in the middle of the grill! This was the first
sports car that was affordable for other than the rich.
Mustangs rolled off the assembly line by the thousands, breaking all industry records.
More than 22,000 orders were taken on this first day. Even Lee Iacocca, at the time, head
of the Ford division of the Ford Motor Co., was amazed at the success of the Mustang.
The pony car captured the hearts of a generation and never let go. Mustang Sally is still
riding high.
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