Ford Mustang: 1964-1966

Ford Mustang: 1964-1966

Father of the ponycar

Harold Pace / autoMedia.com

In 1964 the American car scene didn't have too many stars. The expensive Corvette held sway at Chevrolet, but the much-hyped Corvair had more potential than performance. The lovely Avanti had generated reams of publicity, but Studebaker was too busy treading water to take advantage of it. The 409 Impalas, 427 Galaxies and Hemi-powered Chryslers were wicked in a straight line, but expensive gas guzzlers that rumbled like volcanos and stubbornly refused to either stop or turn corners. As a result they sold in insignificant numbers by Detroit standards. The Falcon, Valiant and Chevy II were selling respectably, but their austere "econo car" image did not appeal to younger drivers. All that changed with the Ford Mustang.

Iococca Concept
The Mustang was the brainchild of Lee Iococca, who at 35 had already become a Ford vice president and general manager. He was concerned that Ford was stuck with an aging buyer pool for its lackluster sedans inherited from beancounter Robert McNamara's stewardship. Iococca immediately got Ford back into racing with the Ford GT program, drag racing and NASCAR. He dropped a V-8 into the Falcon to create the sporty Falcon Futura, but what he really wanted was a "personal car" for younger drivers more interested in peeling out in a fun, sporty car than poking around in their parents' sedans. After a series of concept cars, the parameters were laid out.