The Emergence of the Pony Car

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Shipped to Shelby-America without hoods, the Fastback models were fitted with fiberglass hoods and met with heavy modifications of both body and chassis.

Fitted with high-performance engines and track-tuned suspensions, the GT-350 provided Ford customers with a ready-made race platform, and many were snapped up for that purpose. Seeing use in competition with the Sports Car Club of America's B Production Class, the GT-350's dominated the field early.

As the production ran well into 1965, a public thirsty for the higher output V-8's strained V-8 engine production to its limits. During this period, the options list began to grow. Everything from Stereo Tape Systems to Style Steel Wheels were being offered in the way of options. At the height of production, the options list topped over 70 factory-installed options.

By early 1966, Ford reached 1 million units of the Mustang. To celebrate the event, a "Limited Edition" Mustang was built for the occasion. The Limited Edition Mustang was fitted with a six-cylinder engine, special wire wheel covers, and distinctive accent striping and rocker models. The engine was adorned with a chrome air cleaner displaying a commemorative engine decal denoting its place in history.

It was the shortage of V-8 engines at this time which accounted for what enthusiasts feel was a less-than-fitting tribute to such a great milestone. Nevertheless, it was the overwhelming success of the car that contributed to the V-8 shortages, and it's a fitting reminder of the car's popularity during that period.

The year 1966 would see the end of the small "Pony Cars" in favor of the burgeoning "Muscle Car" sweeping the marketplace. That year marked the peak of Mustang production, with over 680,000 units were built. And while the Mustang was to continue to be very popular on the American car scene for years to come, the car would not enjoy this level of production for many years to come.

Ford Motor Co unveiled the Mustang on a grand stage, the New York World's Fair on April 13th, 1964. First showings were at the Ford Pavilion to invited members of the press, time enough for reviews to start showing up in leading magazines in efforts to bolster the public launch four days later. With media hype at its peek, the unveiling of Ford's new "Pony Car" drove over 4 million people to showrooms across America during the first week. During this same period, over 30,000 cars were ordered. Take a look at the evolution of the "Pony Car."

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