Ford Mustang: Icon, Trendsetter, & America’s Darling

Even if it’s not your personal favorite, it’s hard to deny the notion that few, if any, vehicles have had an impact on American culture like the Ford Mustang. An instant hit since day one, the epic pony car remains a dream ride for countless car enthusiasts to this day. So, how has the genre-defining vehicle managed to hold on for nearly 60 years? Keep reading and find out.

Not So Humble Beginnings

To put it bluntly, the Mustang is such a popular car because it started kicking @$$ the minute it left the assembly line. Back in 1964, the West had seen nothing like it. Its European-inspired layout, compact size, rugged good looks, floor shifter, V-8 engine, and a name like no other was a recipe for success. And Ford – plus Lee Iacocca, the mastermind behind the platform – knew it.

Planning for 100,000 first-year sales, the company ensured dealers were stocked and ready to roll the same day the vehicle debuted at the World’s Fair on April 17, 1964 in New York. Much to Ford’s delight, roughly 22,000 models sold on the first day. By August, when the automaker debuted more buying options and a few production changes, sales had already exceeded 120,000. Total sales for the first-year model? An incredible 681,000 units. Needless to say, it was a hit.

So, what captured America’s heart? Well, it’s worth remembering that in the early 1960s, most vehicle platforms were big and cumbersome. Outside of tiny and impractical sport cars, no vehicle could really offer the kind of lightweight, agile feel of the Mustang – with a powerful engine, wicked styling and affordable price tag to boot. It was fresh and fun, and heralded the start of something new. (The long list of options and engine choices certainly didn’t hurt either.) Amazingly, this recipe hasn’t changed all that much over the years either, helping the Ford Mustang endure as a fan-favorite.

What has the Mustang done for you? Everything.

It was only natural for competitors to swiftly step into the ring after the introduction of the Mustang. We wouldn’t have the Chevrolet Camaro or Dodge Challenger without it. In fact, when the people asked what a ‘Camaro’ is, GM responded with “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.”

While the Mustang’s cultural formula for success didn’t change much over the years, its mechanical one certainly evolved. In fact, it had to in order to survive.

Setting a Trend

In 1965, the fastback body style was introduced, which happened to be the platform Carrol Shelby turned into a performance legend. Yes, the Mustang’s legendary ties to the master of performance started almost immediately, and it was only a few years later that Bullitt immortalized the platform on the silver screen alongside the 1968 Dodge Charger.

Throughout the following years, Ford’s flagship performance car, which birthed the pony car division, would be paired with some of the greatest styling cues and engines of the era. That includes a radical, more muscular body and the iconic 428 and 429 cubic inch engines in 1969 and 1970, making for what were arguably the coolest versions of the Mustang.

Increase your 1986-1993 Mustang 5.0’s performance with a BBK Performance chrome cold air intake. One of today’s favorite performance bolt-ons, BBK cold air intake kits are chrome-plated to deliver great looks as well as real world horsepower gains.

Sign of the Times

Only a few years after Ford produced the burliest version of the pony car yet, the Mustang was downsized into the Mustang II. This version sported a smaller, more economical platform to match the rising fuel crisis. You can mock it for being the shadow of what was once a great name, but its adaptability helped the platform stick around all these years. Besides, by 1979, the Mustang was birthed into yet another cultural icon: the Foxbody.

The Foxbody Mustang was the hero of the ’80s and is one of the few American performance cars of the era to come with a proper V-8 option. That little boxy version was followed by another iconic Mustang in the ’90s. Then again, in 2005 Ford blew fans away with the rebirth of retro Mustang body styling, which inspired Dodge and Chevy to get back in the fight with the retro resurrections of the Challenger and Camaro.

There’s a lot to unpack with the history of the Mustang, but the key takeaway is that it’s a trendsetter. And we all have it to thank for the competition it’s birthed for us to enjoy.

Future Iterations

The history of the Mustang didn’t end in 2005. In 2010, the model received some cosmetic work, and in 2015 a new generation was born, introducing us to the new GT350. For many, history pretty much ends just a few years later. That’s because 2019 belched out the Ford Mustang Mach E.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach E electric crossover

Electric Innovations

The Mach E isn’t objectively a bad car – and there are many who love what it brings to the table – BUT there are those who (understandably) feel calling it a Mustang is a stretch. For the first time in history, the Mustang name attached itself to a four-door crossover platform, not a two-door coupe. Worse yet, gone was anything near a V-8 or even an EcoBoost. Instead, it’s an EV.

All jokes aside, this is the future. It was just a rather aggressive move on Ford’s part. That didn’t keep the model from selling, though. Mustang Mach-E sales totaled 27,140 vehicles in 2021, making it the nation’s second best-selling full electric SUV behind Tesla’s Model Y.

Now, Mach E did not replace the regular Mustang, but it’s a sign that times are changing, and we all want to know what’s to come of the true Mustang in the near future.

Seventh Gen Speculation

The S650 Mustang is coming, but the good news is that it doesn’t appear to be radically different on the surface from the S550.

There was some speculation it would be another all-electric model, but that rumor was debunked. However, it is true that a hybrid model will join the lineup by 2025. And more interesting is the speculation of an AWD version entering the ring with some new contenders.

It’s safe to say that Mustang’s tendency to shake things up every few years remains intact.

Still Plenty of Pony

Need a little more proof that the Mustang isn’t once again becoming an econobox? While the 5.0L V-8 and 2.3L I-4 engines are rumored to be featured in upcoming hybrid models, Ford’s already working on a monster. A race-prepped version of the S650 is under development for the GT3 racing series. Little is known about this monster other than it will be paired with a worked-over 5.0L Coyote.

If nothing else, we can find comfort in knowing that, though the Mustang continues to evolve to match the times, it will remain as muscular as it’s ever been, if not more so. Hopefully, Chevy and Dodge will follow as they have in the past.

Meet BBK Performance

From the late 1980s until today, the Ford Mustang has been an integral part of BBK’s success as one of the top aftermarket auto parts companies.

Founded in 1988, BBK (which stands for “Brian, Barry, and Ken”—the three men responsible for getting the business off the ground) was the very first company to design and develop aftermarket air intake systems and performance throttle bodies for the then-newly fuel injected 5.0L Mustang and TPI Camaro models. While other aftermarket manufacturers were still battling it out with carbureted applications, these guys continued to feverishly pursue the goal of providing fuel-injected muscle cars with performance upgrades that overcome the limits of factory equipment.

Creating such industry firsts as the modern-day performance throttle body, cold air intake, and shorty headers, BBK has cemented itself as a leading force in the world of EFI performance – as well as the entire aftermarket. To learn more, visit https://www.bbkperformance.com/.

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