It all began in on April 17 1964."Presenting
the unexpected" the "New Ford Mustang". It was a hit from the start and by August 1965 the Mustang had sold over 680,000 units. Ranging from a base 6 cylinder to a 260 v-8, manual or automatic,the Mustang was the Ford wonder hit. It was a versatile model and you could order it the way you liked it with a variety of options. It was also a wonder of the personal design of ones car as they said then, "do your own thing" with it.
In 1966 Shelby helped the Mustang's reputation giving it the all out race/high performance version with a 289-306hp v-8. 1967 marked a decline in sales as the Mustang receives it's first face lift. Larger than the earlier version, Ford introduces big-block capability giving it a high performance status and creating the Mustang GT.
In 1968 the Famous 428 cobra jet is introduced replacing the 427-limited units. It is well accepted but sales decline as fuel prices rise and emissions begin to change the automobile industry. Shelby remains with Mustang and runs the 428 cobra jet in the gt-500 models.
The 302 is also introduced giving a higher torque output than the 289 it is to become the most popular power plant in Ford's history.
In 1969 the Mustang had become a full grown pony and had the muscle to prove it on the street and the track. It received another redesign and the MACH I was born. Base engine a 351w giving 290hp gave it a great wheel spin on the street. The BOSS 302 and 429 were also born giving Ford the race edge in trans-am racing.The Mustang had a total of 7 engines available from the 200cid 6 cylinder to the high output Boss 429.Unchanged in 1970, the Mustang was heading towards a luxury status, sacrificing on the performance, this would be the last year for the FE series engines in a Mustang.
By 1971 it hit it's limit and with strict emission laws the Mustang stopped gallopping and only kept it's stride, with higher luxury and better fuel emissions. This was the last year of a big block Mustang having the 429. In 1972-73 the 351c gave the Mustang it's kick being the biggest engine available. These were the last of the breed of the classic pony car which ended in 1973.
In 1974 the Mustang became a next generation pony car and was deprived of a v-8 engine running it's first 4-cylinder engine. A v-6 was optional. The demand for a v-8 was high and Ford reintroduced the 302 in the Mustang for 1975. This model was called Cobra II for 1976-78 models giving the Mustang a sporty look.
By 1979 Ford redesigned the Mustang once again, and through this redesign gave the Mustang Fox-chassis an overwhelming welcome. Mustang sales rose and the pony car was gallopping again.
This design held the Mustang strong t'ill 1983 when a HO version of the 302 was introduced giving the Mustang roller-cam power. The v-8 kept selling and the demand was still good. The SVO version 4 cylinder-turbo did not sell as well and was dropped in the end of 1986.
In 1987 the Mustang receives it's multi-port fuel injection raising horsepower from 205bhp to 225bhp. This would propell the Mustang into the ninety's making it the all american pony car. The best buy for the buck as we would say. 1993 would be the last year of the famous fox-chassis and a limited edition Mustang's were produced as cobras with a 245hp 5.0l high output.
1994 marks the introduction of the sn95 chassis. The Mustang still having a 302 (5.0l high output) as the most popular engine. The base 4 cylinder has been dropped and a standard v-6 is used as a base engine. The days of the 5.0l power plant are numbered and are soon to be replaced by a 4.6lSOHC engine. 1996 marks the return of the Mustang cobra with a limited edition 351w high output power plant.
Redesigned slightly, the 1999 Mustang looks and has what it takes to give us that retro-performance shiver we Mustang fans like. Today still in 2001 the Mustang looks and feels good, having the same prespective as in 1964, it is still a peoples performance car. You can still do what you want with it just like in the older days and parts upgrade and modifications availability are numerous. It is still a "do your own thing" car and that's why we Mustang lovers like Mustang's.
