The Ford Mustang is a car that was produced by Ford Motor Company. In the beginning, it was created to demonstrate some of the traits of the Ford Falcon which was a compact car. Anyone who claims to be a classic Mustang fan understands that the car has undergone several transformations.
The Mustang is responsible for creating the "pony car" series. Pony cars were sports cars that contained short-rear decks and long hoods and inspired competitors to build cars such as the Camaro, Barracuda and others.
The productions of these magnificent cars began in 1964 with being introduced on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair. The name derived from John Najjar who profoundly admired the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane. He is the person who suggested "Mustang" to be attached to the sports car.
As production increased on the car, they began appearing heavier and larger as each year progressed, at least until 1971 - 1973 which are the years that Ford returned the car to their original sizes. Some of the "pony cars" have since experienced a revival from competitors; the Mustang is the only true auto in the "pony" class that is still being produced without interruption over the last 4 decades.
1964 - 1973
During this time, Ford desired to reduce development costs while achieving a reasonable retail price. They relied on utilizing components derived from those used in the Fairlane (fastback) and the Falcon. This aided Ford to shorten the learning curve for repair, and assembly workers. This allowed auto dealers to pick up the 67 Mustang without spending tons of money on spare parts inventories in order to maintain a brand-new car series. What was the result of these efforts? The Boss 302 Mustang which proved popular through the early seventies, even though some consumers considered the car overweight. In 1969, the Ford Mustang Mach 1, which was a higher-end version of a Ford Mustang debuted in class as well as the GT 350 series.
1974 - 1978
Mr. Iaccoca, a leading force behind the original Mustang, achieved the position of President of Ford Motor Company in 1970, and he demanded a more fuel-efficient Mustang for the year 1974. Originally, they wanted the fuel-efficient car to be based on the Maverick but settled for the Pinto subcompact.
The new Mustang was called the "Mustang II" and was strategically introduced to the public two months after the 1973 oil crisis. The smaller size allowed the car to compete against imported cars such as the Capri and Cellica. The Mustang was available in hatchback and coupe versions. The changes were introduced in 1975 that included the reinstatement of the 302 CID V-8 options. There were other changes in appearance which came with the "Cobra II" version in 1976-77 and the "King Cobra" in 1978.
1979 - 1993
The 1979 Mustang was originally based on the Fox platform that was originally developed for the 1978 Mercury Zephyr and the Ford Fairmont. The inside of the car was re-created for four people. The body styles included a hatchback, convertible and coupe. The car was offered in trim levels of GL, GLX, L, LX, Turbo GT; 500 series (83-84), SVO (84-86), Cobra R (93), and the Cobra (79-81; 93).
During the eighties, Ford experienced decreasing sales on the Mustang due to the ever-rising costs of fuel. Ford decided to develop a new version of the "pony car" based on the Japanese-designed Mazda MX-6. Class Ford fans opposed this approach because it would mean that the car would be produced without a V-8 option. The result was creating a makeover on the existing 87 Mustang with the Probe being based on the variants from the MX-6.
1994 - 2004
The Mustang in 1994 experienced a first; redesign. The original design was based on an updated version of the rear-wheel drive Fox platform which was newly titled "Fox-4". Since 1974, Ford no longer offered a coupe model during this year. In 1999, sharper contours and the New Edge theme styles with creases in the bodywork and larger wheel arches. The basics were still there with the chassis and the interior as being the same as the previous model.
2005 - Now
Ford again in 2005 redesigned the Mustang and the changes were based on the new D2C platform. The company announced in 2007 that all 08 Mustangs will include seats that were made of soybeans. The 2009 Mustangs would come with the new option of a glass roof for somewhat of a hefty price. The 2010 models contained a new exterior and a reduced drag co-efficient of 4 percent, while the GT models 4.6 L V-8 was revised that offered 315 hp at 6,000 (rpm) and 325 lb.ft of torque at 4255 rpm. Other new features included the dampers, traction, stability control and spring rates which came standard on all models and the car offered new wheel sizes, as well.
Conclusion
Classic Ford Fans prove the most faithful to the Mustang. The car is ever-evolving and does not have any chance of going away any time soon. The love for this car has proved evident throughout the years and fans worldwide agree that the first "pony car" is the most admired car of all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment