When Was the First Mustang Created?

The Ford Mustang--who doesn't love this classic car? The first of its kind, the Ford Mustang has somehow become one of the most popular sports cars ever. But no one thought it would achieve cult status when the very first Mustang rolled off the assembly line.

The Concept

The concept for the Ford Mustang was born in the mind of General Manager Lee Iacocca, who wanted Ford to market a small, fun, sports-style car. Product Manager Donald Frey first envisioned the actual prototype for the Mustang and was one of its staunchest supporters.

Revisions to the Plan

Frey's first design was unveiled in 1962, but it did not quite fit Iacocca's dream car. Instead, the General Manager ran a design contest, won by David Ash and John Oro, of Ford's Lincoln-Mercury design studio. The plans were based of those of the Ford Falcon and the Ford Fairline.

Production

The very first Ford Mustang rolled off the line in Dearborn, Michigan, on March 9, 1964. Affectionately known as the Mustang 1964 1/2, the car was an instant hit--the public loved it when it made its World Fair debut less than 2 months later in New York. Later that year, it was featured in a James Bond film.

Early Sales Figures

Sales predictions for the Mustang were in the range of 90,000 to 100,000 for the first year. Less than 2 years later, over 1 million Mustangs had been manufactured.

Modified Mustangs

The Mustang had several high-performance models that have been extremely popular over the years. The Shelby Mustang was built in 1968 as competition for the Corvette. In production for 3 years originally, the name Shelby was revived in 2007. The Saleen was another Mustang variant that was at first produced mainly for its external design, but was later modified to add a high-performance engine.