Ford Mustang History The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the Ford Falcon, a compact car.Production began in Dearborn, Michigan on 9 March, 1964 and the car was introduced to the public on 17 April, 1964 at the New York World's Fair. It is Ford's second oldest nameplate currently in production, although the F-Series pickup truck line has undergone major nameplate changes over the years. It was Ford's most successful launch since the Model A. Executive stylist John Najjar, who was a fan of the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane, suggested the name. The Mustang created the "pony car" class of American automobile — sports car-like coupes with long hoods and short rear decks —and gave rise to competitors such as GM's Camaro,AMC's Javelin,and Chrysler's revamped Barracuda.It also inspired coupés such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri, which were exported to America. Mustangs grew larger and heavier with each model year until, in response to the 1971-1973 models, fans of the original 1964 design wrote to Ford urging a return to its size and concept. Although some other pony cars have seen a revival, the Mustang is the only original pony car that has remained in production without interruption after four decades of development and revision. Today At the 2004 North American International Auto Show, Ford introduced a completely redesigned Mustang, codenamed "S-197," that was based on an all-new D2C platform for the 2005 model year. Developed under the direction of Chief Engineer Hau Thai-Tang and exterior styling designer Sid Ramnarace,the fifth-generation Mustang's styling echoes the fastback Mustangs of the late 1960s. Ford's senior vice president of design, J Mays, called it "retro-futurism." The fifth-generation Mustang is manufactured at the AutoAlliance International plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. The base model is powered by a 210 hp (157 kW) cast-iron block 4.0 L SOHC V6, which replaces the 3.8 L pushrod V6 used previously. The Mustang GT features an aluminum block 4.6 L SOHC 3-valve Modular V8 with variable camshaft timing (VCT) that produces 300 hp (224 kW). The 2005 Mustang GT has an approximate weight to power ratio of 11.5 lb/bhp. The base Mustang comes with a standard Tremec T-5 5-speed manual transmission while Ford's own 5R55S 5-speed automatic, a Mustang first, is optional. Though the Mustang GT features the same automatic transmission as the V6 model, the Tremec T-5 manual is substituted with the heavier duty Tremec TR-3650 5-speed manual transmission to better handle the GT's extra power. The revised 2010 model year Mustang, launching in April 2009, was unveiled on the internet ahead of the 2008 Los Angeles International Auto Show. The new Mustang's more "muscular" look, comprising mostly new exterior sheetmetal (except for the roof),is designed to look smaller than its predecessor even though the actual dimensions are essentially unchanged, according to Ford's North American design director Peter Horbury.
Ford Mustang Engine
Ford Mustang Interior |
