Ford Mustang: The Original Pony Car
We love working on cars both old and new, and some of that passion comes from the long, fascinating history surrounding where certain styles, mechanics, and trends come from. Understanding where vehicle designs come from makes us better at our jobs – and it’s just fun to learn about the long history of the American automobile!
Today, let’s look at how Ford – a staple in the US automotive industry – made a car that helped create an entire genre: the pony car.
The Rise of The Pony Car
In the early 1960s, sales trends showed that American drivers were becoming more and more interested in small, sporty, affordable cars. While the 1950s brought about innovation and industry development in the post-war era, most of the cars were… BIG. In response to changing demands, smaller, affordable 2+2 coupes began to emerge on the market. Vehicles like the 1960 Chevrolet Corvair and the ‘63 AMC Rambler Tarpon were marketed to youth, featured more compact body styles, and had more economical six-cylinder engines.
These trends continued with limited popularity until one wildly successful vehicle changed the face of sporty, affordable cars forever: the Ford Mustang.
First released in 1964, the Mustang wasn’t exactly the first car of its kind, but it immediately became the face of a “pony cars” – smaller, competitively priced, stylish vehicles aimed at younger, more adventurous consumers. Many of these cars, especially the Mustang, featured upgradable options (like a V8) that helped secure them as “cool” and powerful cars – an image that remains to this day.
Mustang Through The Years
The Ford Mustang has gone through plenty of changes between 1964 and today. While body styles and sizes have varied significantly, the basic principles of the pony car have always been at the heart of each version. In the late ‘60s, drivers could indulge in upgraded Mach and Boss models with beefier engines, and by the mid 1970s, the much smaller Mustang II offered buyers 4 and 6 cylinder options that retained the “cool factor” of the originals that catered to the gas-conscious drivers of the times.
Across the Fox models that dominated the ‘80s, the “aero” design versions 1987 and ‘88, the return of recognizable Mustang features in the mid ‘90s, and the modern-retro stylings of today’s Ford Mustangs, these staples of American auto have remained the quintessential pony car.
We absolutely love Mustangs, from unique Shelby models to stock, standard versions from every era. It’s fun to compare the history, the changes over the years, and the similarities across these ultra-recognizable cars.
If you’ve got a Ford Mustang, we’ll help you keep it running its best – just contact Milito’s Auto Repair if you need anything!
