The Ford Mustang Essay -- History, Sports Car

A highly popular muscle and sports car, the Ford Mustang functions as a daily driver, weekend warrior, and a show winning work of mechanical art. Whether someone just needs a basic transportation to get from point A to point B, an eight second quarter-mile beast, or a show stopping work of power and beauty, Ford has produced a Mustang for every need. The Mustang got its name from the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane (Harris). The â€Å"five generations† evolved each year model until, in response to the 1971-1973 models, Ford returned the car to its original size and concept in 1974 (Bowling). The first generation of the Mustangs appeared in 1964 and lasted through 1973. On March 9, 1964, the first Mustang, a Wimbledon white convertible with a 260 cu in V8 engine, rolled off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan. A month later on April 17, 1964, the Ford Mustang made its world debut at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York (Kelly). The first model Mustang the early 1965, or as many like to call it the 1964 and one-half Mustang, interests me the most because of its unique design and style. The rareness of this year’s Mustang fascinates me because so little are left; over the years people have either crushed or cut them up and made race cars out of them, which makes me sad to see these rare, fascinating cars go to waste. When the 1964 and one half debuted, only a coupe and a convertible could be purchased featuring a base 170 cu in six-cylinder engine with a three-speed floor shift transmission, also available with a 260 cu in V8 engine, in addition to a four-speed manual transmission or a three-speed â€Å"Cruise-O-Matic† transmission. The interior featured â€Å"wall-to-wall† c... ...e, but this year marked the release of the GT California Special package on GT premium models and the release of the Shelby GT and the Shelby GT 500, capable of producing 500 horsepower. The year 2009 marked the release of the GT 500 KR. The glass top was the only major change to the body style this year. In 2010, the Mustang featured a new redesign. The Mustang had more power and featured a revised interior and exterior (Jackson1). In 2011, Ford brought back the 5.0-liter engine in the new Mustang, because, once again, Ford listened to the consumers. The tail lamps, the only major change to the body style of the Mustang this year, set higher up on the car. The Ford Mustang always sticks to its heritage; many people have heard of it and no matter how fast or how new, it’s always noticeable with its American muscle car symbol, the galloping mustang.