The Ford Mustang, named after the WWII P51 fighter planes, first entered the market on April 17th, 1964. Initial projections slated the car might sell 100,000 models in the first year. Instead, the Mustang surpassed everyone’s expectations and sold over 417,000 units in 1964. After the second year in production, the car had topped over 1 million sales.
To this day, the Ford Mustang remains one of the top muscle cars on the market. It has won races the world over, and is a favorite among car collectors everywhere. During the first year, the Mustang was honored as a pace car in the Indy 500, and within a span of months, the car was hitting the big screen.
The Mustang has been featured as an iconic “superhero” car in countless movies; some of the most famous are Goldfinger (The 3rd film in the legendary James Bond series, 1964), Bullitt (A Steve McQueen classic, 1968), and Gone in Sixty Seconds (The original car-theft flick, 1974). Newer models of this classic Ford continue to be depicted on screen in films like I Am Legend (2007) and Transformers (2007).
The original price for the Ford Mustang was only $2,240, which adjusted for inflation would be around $11,500 now. Today’s Mustang will cost a buyer anywhere between $22-44,000, depending on the model and options chosen.
The first Mustang had a top speed of 116 miles per hour. Today’s Mustang beats that number by a fairly large chunk, topping out at 160 miles per hour. The first Mustang was relatively lightweight, weighing in at only 2500 lbs. Today’s muscle cars weigh in at around 3700 lbs.
Today’s models also get significantly better gas mileage than the first cars, which shows how far engineering has come in 4 decades.
Through the Decades
By the end of the 60’s, Ford had introduced the Mustang BOSS, a special-edition Ford that was designed to compete in the Trans-Am series race. This edition was only offered through 1970.
The 1975 Mustang introduced the 302-cid V-8 engine, which only offered 130 horsepower to the driver, and only came with an automatic transmission. To repent for this negative side of the Mustang, Ford introduced the Cobra II in 1976. The Cobra II was designed to pay tribute to the beloved Shelby’s of the decade prior.
The 80’s saw an entirely different body style for the Mustang. Shorter, and much more “modern” in their appearance, the Mustangs of the 80’s were a far cry from the previous decades’ cars. In 1984, Ford introduced a 20th anniversary edition of the Mustang Convertible, a limited edition V-8 Mustang GT.
In the following decade, Ford fought through their critics and stayed alive, bringing the ’93 Cobra R, a low-volume race car that ended up selling out before it even went into production. Built with Ford Motorsports Performance Parts, this car is a legend, still to this day.
The following year, Ford introduced the ever-familiar coupe in its lineup. Labeled as a mid-sized car, the coupe far exceeded expectations and helped Ford do much better than just stay alive through the 90’s.
The 2000’s gave a hat tip to the original 60’s Mustangs, with an all-new body style introduced, Ford brought its Mustang back from the “coupe” and away from the smaller racing bodies of the 80’s and took it back to its roots, back to the shape of the muscle car it was originally. The 2000’s saw a major uptick in sales and the Mustang has stayed successful even today.
The Mustangs of today are every racing enthusiast’s dream, with completely customizable options, you can design the Mustang that is your ultimate dream car. You can join over 2 million other people online who have “created” their dream Mustang, and if you’re a true fan, you can purchase the exact car you design.
Classics
If you are a true Mustang enthusiast, however, purchasing a brand new GT might not be your cup of tea. Collectors and car restoration experts know that the Ford Mustang is one of the best cars to add to your collection. Whether you are bidding on a car to keep and drive, or purchasing a worn-down model that needs a restoration, the Mustang will add a significant amount of value to your garage. Mustangs in need of restoration can be bought inexpensively, for only a few thousand dollars. Those same cars are often resold for nearly a hundred thousand dollars, after a decent restoration. It’s an investment that is well worth the time and effort.
However, you should never set out to purchase or restore a classic car without the proper muscle car insurance in place.
Classic Auto Insurance has seen disasters happen. We know how difficult it can be for those who experience the loss of property and don’t have the proper coverage to compensate for their losses. If you are going to make such a significant investment of your time and money, don’t let it go to waste. Having your car properly insured is the only way to guarantee you won’t lose money if damage befalls that car.
Accidents happen every day; tree limbs fall, garages flood, fender benders are a harsh reality. But you don’t have to suffer a loss because of these things! Before you make your purchase, get online and get a free, instant quote! Find out how much money we can save you on a classic car insurance policy, and think about how much money we’ll save you when damage strikes!
Protection for your assets is a must. Give us a call today at 888-901-1338 for more information on our customizable policies that are designed to fit your individual needs as a classic car owner and driver.
Sources:
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/ford/mustang
http://mustangs.about.com/od/mustangphotogalleries/ig/History-of-the-Ford-Mustang.–5z/index.03.htm
http://corporate.ford.com/vehicles/ford-mustang-story
About the Author
Drew Yagodnik is Vice President of Classic Automobile Insurance Agency, Inc. Classic Automobile Insurance Agency has been protecting collector, classic and exotics since 1992.
