Ten Things You Didn’t Know About The Classic Ford Mustang

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Just how well do you know this legendary pony car?

There’s no denying the Ford Mustang has had a lasting effect on the automotive landscape. Just how many cars have been produced continuously for over 50 years? Not many, so just based on that the Mustang is elite.

Just because this muscle car has been around for a while doesn’t mean you know all there is to know about the first generation models. That’s what the following ten facts are about. How many of these did you already know? The rest feel free to catalog away and dispense them at the next party you attend, to impress the host and everyone else.

1. Pony Emblem Origin

There’s a degree of mystery around how the Ford Mustang got its name, with some claiming it straight-up was named after the P-51 fighter plane and others swearing it’s solely a connection to the wild mustang horses of the American West. Then there are stories of the car almost being named the Cougar and other animals, while others insist Mustang was always the plan. One thing’s for certain: the Mustang badge is just like the logo for SMU, with one key difference. While the SMU pony is running to the right, the Mustang pony is running to the left, something many have interpreted as symbolizing going west toward open spaces and freedom. There’s even a story of Lee Iacocca storming into SMU football team’s locker room after a game at Michigan and declaring he was inspired by the visitors. Whether that’s true or not, their logo certainly was inspiration for the Mustang badge.

2. About That Name

Yes, people will debate the origin of the Mustang name and have for over 50 years now, including former Ford employees. However, those who worked on the project back in the day keep repeating the same story: the P-51 Mustang was in fact the original inspiration for the car. However, Ford leadership shot down the idea because it would be too difficult to market, at least that’s the story. Later the name was pitched as a connection to the horse and the American West, something Ford management thought was a great idea. John Najjar backs up this story, so if you think he’s wrong, take it up with the man.

3. 1964.5 Isn’t Official

People will go to the grave and swear on a stack of Bibles the 1964.5 model year Mustangs are officially recognized by Ford as such, but that’s actually not true. While collectors and enthusiasts use 1964.5 to distinguish the first batch of Mustangs from the rest, they are officially 1965 models. That doesn’t mean you’re wrong or bad for using 1964.5 for the first wave of Mustangs, because there are some differences between them and the rest of the 1965 models, so it helps avoid confusion. However, you should be aware that Ford officially recognizes 1965 as the first model year.

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