Ford Mustang Generations: A Look at Ponies Since the 1964 Debut

It’s the longest continuous production run of any mass-market car in the world. It has won races all across the world in classes ranging from stock car to funny car and NASCAR. It has posted impressive sales numbers annually, despite a shift towards efficiency in the auto market in the eighties. It’s the Ford Mustang.The Ford Mustang is the original “pony car”. It sparked a whole generation of sports cars that focused on performance and style and has led the pack since it hit the sales market in the second half of 1964. Production began on the classic in March of ’64 in Dearborn, Michigan, and hasn’t stopped.Check out the Ford Mustang through its six generations.Generation I: 1964 ½ to 1973 Ford MustangThe 1964 ½ Ford Mustang beat Chevrolet to the punch with a production sports car for the masses. While the VIN number and all supporting documentation showing them as 1965 models, the 1964 ½ ‘Stang blew the doors off the industry. In the United States alone, over 121,000 were sold in the first five months. And that number was just the tip of the iceberg…In 1965, Ford sold nearly 560,000 Mustangs in the US. In 1966, there were 607,568 sold. Sales were gangbusters and it’s easy to see why. What we now consider classic stylings were aggressive, sleek, and sporty for its time, yet the Ford Mustang was still economical enough that common people could buy them.Under the hood, engine choices were limited but satisfactory. The option of either a six-cylinder or eight cylinder engine gave buyers the choice of up to 210 horsepower. Initial body choices included the hardtop and convertible models, with the fastback joining the ranks in 1965.Later in the generation, the SportsRoof entered the equation as did the larger 302 c.i. V8 engine. The Boss 429, Boss 302 and Mach 1 editions rolled out with massive performance upgrades, and the Grande model was released in 1969 with a luxury foundation for quieter and more refined operation.The 1971-73 models were much heavier, bulkier, and were referred to as “fat and lazy”. The cars were 800 lbs heavier than ever, 3 inches wider, and had poor sight lines for the driver with flat and ugly roof lines. The sales numbers dropped like a rock and a redesign was nothing less than required.Generation II: 1974 to 1978 Ford MustangThe second generation of Ford Mustang, also known as the Mustang II, was based on the Ford Pinto Its design was less awe-inspiring than its predecessor’s, though the sales numbers were bolstered – from 1973 to 1974, sales nearly tripled.While the Ford Mustang returned to its original size and weight, its engine options were mostly bland. A 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine borrowed from the Pinto, a 2.8-liter V6, and the 4.9-liter (302 c.i.) V-8 were available. New U.S. emissions and safety regulations meant additional controls, resulting in extra weight from those systems.In 1978, the second-generation Mustang added another designation to its line-up, the King Cobra. This model was the first to receive the moniker that is now synonymous with Mustang – 5.0 L.The second generation featured several common items including frameless door glass, vinyl-wrapped roofs, and a leatherette storage bag on the top of the spare tire hump.Generation III: 1979 to 1993 Ford MustangEnter the Fox body Mustangs. The third generation saw mass appeal back to the Ford Mustang. Even now, the fox-body Mustang is one of the most sought after sports cars due to its inexpensive purchase price, its performance potential, and its rather attractive yet subdued appearance.The Ford Mustang in 1979 was the first year of the redesign, taking the longer Fox platform. It is notably different from the later years of the generation with four headlights, known as “Four Eyes” to Mustang enthusiasts. Later on in the Fox-body era, headlights took on the more modern aero style with single assembly headlights and electronic fuel injection was added to 1986 model years and later.Again, a 4-cylinder model, a V-6, and the headliner model, the 5.0-liter, were available on the Fox-body Mustangs.Generation IV: 1994 to 2004 Ford MustangReleased in November of 1993, the 1994 Mustang was released to the public. It was based on an updated version of the Fox platform but had dramatically updated styling. In fact, the whole car was new.Sleek, round lines replaced the straight and aggressive profile of the Fox-body generation and under the hood, engine choices were much, much different. The 302 c.i. V8 that was so popular among Mustang purists was replaced by an all-new 4.6-liter (281 c.i.) V8 in the GT model. The 3.8-liter V-6 engine had 145 horsepower and was noticeably less performance-based than the 225-hp GT.Over the course of the next few years, several variations were available including the 2001 Bullitt, the Mach 1 in 2003-04, and the Mustang Cobra in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004, with up to 390 horsepower put to the road.Generation V: 2005 to 2014 Ford MustangIn 2005, the Ford Mustang once again got a facelift. The front appearance took a modern twist on the Boss stylings of the first-generation Mustang with the four headlights. The car became much more refined than ever with crisp interior lines as distinct and sharp as the exterior now had.The base engine for the fifth-generation Mustang was now a 4.0-liter V6 with 210 horsepower, nearly equivalent to the V-8 power rating from the first generation ‘Stang. The 4.6-liter V-8 boosted power production to 300 in the GT model, though multiple variations rated much higher yet.The Mustang Shelby GT500 had a mind-blowing 550 horsepower from its 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 while the Boss 302 had 444 horsepower when it was released in 2012. Later in 2012, the Shelby GT500 was upgraded to a 5.8-liter supercharged V-8, pushing 662 horsepower.A bunch of variants was released in the fifth generation and the looks became more crisp and clean toward the end of its run.Generation VI: 2015 to Current Ford MustangThe current Ford Mustang offering is a modernization of the fifth-generation sports car. The front end features updated headlights and a trapezoidal grille and the interior features more technology than ever before.Under the hood, you have three engine choices: a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder with 310 horsepower, a 3.7-liter V-6 with 300 horsepower, and a 5.0-liter V-8 with 435 bone-stock horsepower. With any of the above, a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed auto are available.If you want a little extra kick in the pants, you can choose the Shelby GT350 or GT350R, a track-ready Mustang with a TREMEC six-speed manual gearbox.

Ford Mustang Through the Generations

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