Mustang and the Pony Car Revolution

by Arcadia Publishing

Overview

There have been few cars that ignited the public's interest as much as the Ford Mustang.

Introduced at the opening of the New York World's Fair in April 1964, the Mustang was based on mechanicals from the earlier Ford Falcon compact car; it quickly established a new motorcar category which was widely copied by domestic and overseas competitors—the "pony car." From the outset, the Mustang represented inspired product planning and design, followed by brilliantly executed marketing. Ford's Mustang team effort used every tool in the vehicle-marketing toolbox: clever teases long before the new product went on sale, unprecedented publicity, simple but effective advertising, the stage at the World's Fair, movie placement, distribution of toy plastic models, and even a replica pedal car for the young drivers of the future. With a measure of luck, it became a classic case of releasing the right product at the right time, and Ford sold one million units in less than two years. Even today, the Mustang is held high as a symbol of American design, engineering, and the freewheeling American spirit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467111522
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	04/07/2014
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,063,328
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Mustang and the Pony Car Revolution is the latest in a series of eight Arcadia Publishing photographic histories created by automotive journalist Michael W.R. (Mike) Davis. It traces the history of the "sporty" Ford Mustang car from its makers' initial inspiration in the years between the two world wars through the market explorations of the post-World War II eras of American motoring development.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 Mustang Prewar Predecessors: 1924-1942 9

2 Mustang Postwar Predecessors: 1945-1960 19

3 Pre-Introduction Mustang Teasers: 1961-1964 31

4 Mustang Launch: April 1964 41

5 Mustang Rollout: to 1966 57

6 Pony Cars and Muscle Cars: 1964-1974 67

7 Generation Two Pinto-Based Mustang II: 1974-1978 87

8 Generation Three Fox Mustangs: 1979-1993 93

9 Generation Four New Edge Mustangs: 1994-2004 109

10 Generations Five and Six Millennial Mustangs: 2005-2015 119

Bibliography 127