The recent automotive biopic Ford v Ferrari might have ended up much better than expected, as it focused on the emotional lives of Carroll Shelby and his team while they took on Enzo Ferrari's dominant Le Mans team, but the film largely glossed over the actual flesh that would have entertained gearheads. Where was the Daytona Coupe? Where was Carroll Shelby's iconic Mustang? Now, as the Mustang turns 56 today, on April 17, 2020, we can finally give the car a bit of the credit it deserves as America's favorite car.
The Stuff Of Legends
The Mustang debuted in 1964 as an immediate success, selling over 400,000 units in its first year and reaching 1,000,000 sales only two years later. The model was originally conceived by none other than Lee Iacocca, who also prodded Henry Ford II (seen above) into the pioneering Le Mans project that ended up with the dominant GT40 racer. In six generations, the Mustang has surely had its ups and downs, but it still remains the world's best-selling sports car of all time, as well as the best-selling sports coupe for the past five years straight, according to Slash Gear.
The Cream Of The Crop
Of course, Carroll Shelby's fingerprints are all over the Mustang even to this day. The current range-topping GT500 is the most powerful Mustang ever built and hearkens back to the Shelby Mustangs of the past. In the interim years, other highlights include Steve McQueen's 1958 Mustang GT 390 Fastback that the actor and auto aficionado personally piloted through the streets of San Francisco in the film Bullitt.
Nadirs in the Mustang's history do exist, however, most notably in the second generation and fourth generation, while interim highs include the third-gen—now known as the Fox Body. Where the Mustang will go beyond the forthcoming Mach-E electric SUV remains to be seen but for now, happy birthday Mustang!
Sources: Fox News, Slashgear