16 Must Know Facts about Ford Mustang
Well, the legend is finally here..!!
It took 50 years for Indian market to prepare itself to welcome the iconic muscle car ‘The Ford Mustang’. Mustang celebrates its 50 years of awesomeness with its launch in India. Despite being old, the car is still young at heart. Here’s what Anurag Mehrotra, Ford India ED (Marketing and Sales) has to say about the coupe, “It is not about age but about passion. And the Mustang will bring that passion out as much in a 25-year-old as a 55-year-old,”
Ford Mustang GT Infographic
For every Ford Mustang lover out there, here are some interesting facts about Ford Mustang:
1. When the legend was born?
The American muscle car Mustang is manufactured by Ford and was based on the platform of the second generation North American Ford Falcon originally. It was April 17,1964 when Mustang (1964½)was first introduced at the world fair in New York. The car was unveiled by Henry Ford II at the Flushing Meadows fair. At the same time, the car was debuted across the United States and Canada and twenty-two thousand were sold at MSRP of $2,368 right then.
Did you know?
Unlike its close competitors like Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, Mustang has an uninterrupted journey of production since its introduction.
2. Ford Mustang’s popularity grew like forest fire
As already mentioned, 22,000 Ford Mustang’s were sold just after its release. But Ford Mustang didn’t take years to set another milestone. There were 418,810 Mustangs which were sold in the first year of its release itself. By the end of two years, there were more than one million Mustang’s on the road. Till date, this is the fastest time for any new car to hit such high sales volume.
Did you know?
Mustang became the most popular car in the United States by 1965. Its production went on to 2.5 million in 1966 taking Ford’s sales even ahead of Chevrolet.
3. India gets the first ever right hand drive variant
This is the first time Ford Motors have decided to gift India and UK markets with the right-hand drive variant of the car. For Indian roads, Mustang had to undergo revisions like the turn indicator control spokes, which are now on the right side of the steering wheel.
Did you know?
Mustang comes to India as a CBU from Flat Rock Assembly Plant (Michigan) in the US.
4. Stories behind the name ‘Mustang’
The name Mustang was suggested by John Najjar, the designer after the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane. But it was rejected. Later he suggested horse names for the car which was easily loved by everyone. According to Lee Iacocca, an advertising consultant suggested them some animal names for the car because there was a trend of naming cars after animals. The list also included Mustang and this was how the car was named.
Did you know?
No one actually knows how the car got its name but Ford Motor Company says other names considered for the car were Torino, Cougar, Avventura, Allegro.
5. The very first Mustang was accidently sold in Newfoundland
Yes, this is true, the first Mustang was sold to a customer in Newfoundland accidently. It was a convertible model of Ford Mustang with the VIN 5F08F100001 which was intended to be used only for promotional purposes. The lucky customer was an airline pilot who drove the car for 10,000 miles. But fortunately, Ford got it back from him by offering him another Mustang with the auspicious number Mustang 1,000,001.
Did you know?
The very first Mustang is on display at the Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
6. Special-Edition Mustang was Ford’s 300 Millionth Car
Ford’s 300,000,000 car was built in 2003 at the assembly line in Michigan and surprisingly it was a Mustang. To be more precise, it was a Mustang GT convertible which was equipped with a powerful V8 engine.
Did you know?
This 300 Millionth car which was Mustang also featured markings as a commemorative to celebrate its 40 years of existence.
7. Ford Mustang & Movies
Bullitt, a movie which became popular among Mustang enthusiasts was released on October 17, 1968. The coupè is looked back with memorable car-chase scenes especially the one from flick Bullitt 1968. It was a dramatic thriller starring Steve Mcqueen which brought it into limelight.
Did you know?
The designer of the Mustang Cobra and Mustang GT350, Carroll Shelby never worked directly with Ford. He joined up with Ford to create this legendary driving machine but originally he worked for his own company Shelby American, Inc.
8. Indian Version of Ford Mustang
In India Ford Mustang will come in its Ti-VCT V8 variant, and not the humbler V6 or the EcoBoost one. This variant has got a 4951 cc 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 engine which can produce 401 PS power at 6500 rpm and 515 Nm of torque at 4250 rpm. The engine is mated with a six-speed Getrag dual-clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
Complete Specifications & Features:
http://autos.maxabout.com/cars/ford/mustang
Did you know?
Ford Mustang comes with sporty 19-inch wheels and performance brakes, and independent rear suspension (IRS) system which adds more thrill to the drives.
9. Top Speed and Mileage Figures for Indian Mustang
The coupe can hit a top speed of 250 kmph (electronically Limited) and has got a mileage of 7-9 kmpl in city and 11-13 kmpl on highway. The American muscle car can achieve this speed by running on 91 octane fuel and doesn’t need special high-octane fuel.
Did you know?
It seems racing was injected into Mustang’s blood from the very beginning. Ford Mustang’s original prototype was driven around the Grand Prix circuit at Watkins Glen. After its introduction in 1964, a Mustang was part of the Indianapolis 500 where it was used as a pace car.
10. Heavenly Safety
Do you think Mustang is only a racetrack stallion meant to bring out an adrenaline rush?
Certainly not! Along with comfort and thrill, it offers you excellent safety features. It has got eight airbags that includes air bags for knees also, safety belt pre-tensioners, ABS, EBD, Traction Control (TC), ESP, crash sensors, and Ford MyKey.
Did you know?
Ford Mustang has got BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) which uses radar to track a vehicle located in the driver’s blind spot. Accordingly, it sends out an alert to occupants through activation of the indicators of the particular exterior mirror.
11. Line-Lock Feature: Ready for Burnouts!
Another cool feature for the Indian Mustang GT is that it has been equipped with Line-Lock burnout feature. It is done with the help of an electric solenoid controlling the valve and allowing the brakes to be controlled individually. So, the front brakes are locked and the rear wheel are free to perform a burnout for you! This feature is useful for those who love to do burnouts frequently.
Did you know?
This is first time ever that Mustang features sophisticated suspension. The latest-gen Mustang is equipped with an independent rear suspension which helps to put the power down a lot better thereby improving the cornering stability.
12. Colors of the New Ford beauty
Ford has introduced Mustang in six colour shades in India namely Race Red, Black, Triple Yellow Tri-coat, Magnetic, Oxford White and Ingot Silver. Undoubtedly, all the colors are vibrant and magnetic to turn everyone’s head around.
Since, it is an all American car, so Blue and Red colors of the car were largely popular. Soon White also became a much sought after color and now black dominates the latest generation Mustangs.
13. Features you will simply fall in love with
So, the pony car offers you a lot more than you can dream about. It has a Sync 3 infotainment system, adaptive cruise control, automatic wipers and start/stop button.
Did you know?
The 2×2 sports coupè allows you to choose driving modes with its selectable driving modes feature. It includes a six-way adjustable driver seat, rain-sensing wipers, automatic projector headlamps, passenger seats with power lumbar support and heated and powered outside rear view mirrors.
14. Pricing for the Indian markets
The Ford Mustang would be available in India at following prices (ex-showroom):
Delhi: Rs 65 lakh
Mumbai: Rs 66.50 lakh
Navi Mumbai: Rs 68.14 lakh
It is the most-affordable V8-powered car you can buy in India!
Did you know?
Originally, Mustang was sold for less than $2500 and that’s why it appealed to a larger segment of society or anyone who was looking for a muscle-built car.
15. The long list of awards for Mustang
Yes, this American Ford beauty not just ruled hearts but it even bagged a lot of awards for its power. Starting with the award list, the first one was in 1965 when it bagged the Tiffany Gold Medal of excellence in American design and became the first car ever to have this honor.
Did you know?
Mustang is also a winner of the Motor Trend Car of the Year award in 1974 and 1994.
16. Most expensive Mustang sold at auction; $1 million
The 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake was sold out for $1.3 million in an auction. It was the only one built for the test to showcase its incredibility.
Did you know?
1968 Shelby EXP 500 Green Hornet reached a bid price of $1.8 million in an auction in January 2013. But the vehicle is still with its original owner because the bids weren’t enough to reach the reserve price.