9781422279601

INTRODUCT ION

A s we cross the threshold into the twenty-first century, those of us of a certain age may take a last, longing glance back to the good old days—our good old days. For us, they were in the fabulous fifties and the swinging sixties. Many of us, like most youngsters in those days, followed the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Jane Fonda’s Barbarella , and we knew about and were captivated by the Mustang. So was the San Francisco truck driver on April 17,1964, when the Mustang was first unveiled for all the world to see. So taken by the cute little car in the Ford dealer’s showroom, the mesmerized trucker drove his rig through the show- room window, obviously intent on being the first to see the new motoring sensation. The idea behind the Mustang was brilliant: to restore the pleasure of motoring that had been taken away by giant cars equipped with every convenience. While only the rich could afford a Ferrari or Aston Martin, here now was a car that even a struggling college student could save for. Ford Division president Lee Iacocca’s little black book contained the idea that became the Mustang. He had a sixth sense that a small, sporty, inexpensive car with a low base price, a long list of options, and engines with real get-up- and-go, would appeal to the young. He was right. The first eighteen months of production broke all records and sent the rest of the auto industry into a frenzy. From the first day onward, the name Mustang has evoked an instant response. People have fond memories of the Mustang, because it was a car that truly belonged to the generation it was designed for.There were the boulevard cruising Mustangs with six-cylinder engines—at best a 289 two-barrel—or the Hollywood and Vine rip roaring, gut wrenching 302s, 390s and 428s. They handled and stopped better than most, and Carroll Shelby nurtured them into race winning, blood-and- thunder machines. But no matter what, Mustang had in the beginning—and still has to this day—one element that is missing from most cars: charisma. A Mustang, old or new, has an inescapable pull. One wants get in and drive it. Try the latest Cobra SAT, and you will see that the magic is still there. This book is about that magic. The story of how Mustang began, and where it is today.

The beginning of a legend. Launched on April 17th 1964, the Mustang was the quintessential car of the Swinging Sixties. Shown is a 1964 convertible powered by the legendary 289 V-8.

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