The Ford Mustang is the world’s best-selling sports coupe for the fourth straight year in a row.

Welcome to the world of the Mustang. It’s been over fifty years since the first Mustang rolled off the assembly line, but today it commands the global sports coupe market. According to Ford’s most recent self-promotional press release just in time for National Mustang Day (which was April 17th, in case you were wondering), Ford sold 113,066 Mustangs in the year of our Lord 2018.

That’s the fourth straight year that the Mustang has been the world’s best-selling sports coupe.

Not only does the Mustang sell well in the world, but it also sells REALLY well in the United States where it has a solid lead over other sports coupes. In 2018, Ford sold 75,842, which is roughly 10,000 more than the runner-up Dodge Challenger.

But it’s the global scale where the Mustang truly shines. It’s sold in 146 countries worldwide, with over 500,000 6th-gen Mustangs sold globally. Global market share is up half a percentage point to 15.4% of all sports coupe sales.

“We broke the mold when Ford launched the Mustang 55 years ago,” said Jim Farley, Ford president, global markets. “Nothing says freedom, the wind in your hair and the joy of driving like Mustang; it’s an icon. The roar of its V8 on a spring day, there’s nothing better. No wonder it’s the most popular sports coupe in the world.”

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However, all is not entirely well with the Mustang. While market share is up, total global sales fell by roughly 12,000 cars since 2017 when the Mustang sold a grand total of 125,809 cars. Sales in the US are also falling precipitously, where the Mustang sold 81,866 cars in 2017 and 105,932 cars in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Dodge Challenger is gaining while the Mustang falls. Sales in 2018 were up to 66,716 Challengers, while the year before it was 64,537 Challengers.

Ford is hoping that the introduction of the new High Performance Package Mustang and the 2020 Shelby Mustang GT500 will staunch the bleeding and allow their beloved pony car to retain its crown.

(Source: CarSalesBase.com, Ford)

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About The Author

Sean grew up with a Lamborghini Diablo poster on his wall. He didn't understand what that car actually was until he graduated from university, which was a considerable time later. These days he'd prefer a McLaren 570S, but still respects the Lamborghini for its insanity. Now he scours the internet looking for the most utterly ridiculous stories about cars and pickup trucks with more horsepower than sense. Occasionally he discusses the important stuff like what Ford, GM, and FCA are planning for the future, but it's not nearly as entertaining. And then there was the time he wrote about the garden shed with 500 hp. Ah, good times. You can find Sean on Twitter @seanmurray683 or by email at Sean.M@HotCars.com.

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