Today is April 17th. Does this date resonate with anyone? No, it’s not a date which will live in infamy, silly Millennial — 59 years ago, the Ford Mustang was introduced.
Mopar fans like to say the Barracuda was the first pony car, and that wouldn’t be far from the truth since the Barracuda was introduced on April 1st. However, the Barracuda was a Valiant fastback, while the Mustang featured unique styling and was a marketing tour de force, especially with the market research behind it.
Like the Beatles, the Mustang took advantage of something simmering in America, which included a youth-minded culture plus more households acquiring second cars (read: more women having their own cars). Sales were beyond spectacular.
For the Mustang’s 50th in 2014, there were several official shows around the country celebrating everyone’s favorite pony car. I was able to attend the West Coast event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and, I can tell you speaking as car guy more than Mustang fan, it was a celebration to remember. Here are several reminiscent images from that pony car party.
