From Jonathan Lamas,
Your Guide to Mustangs.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

In 1964, St. Louis beat out the New York Yankees, 4-3, in the World Series. The Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, and fans tuned in to Gilligan's Island each week to learn the status of their favorite castaways.

A lot has changed in the more than 40 years since then. The Beatles are now considered classic rock and Gilligan's Island has long since been in syndication. And yet, through all these years, the Ford Mustang, introduced in 1964 as well, still holds its own in the world of power-performance automobiles. The Chevy Camaro came and went. The Pontiac Firebird came and went. Through all the years, the Mustang has weathered the storm. Will there be a Ford Mustang 100 years from now? I’d like to think so! And with that, let us review some of the most significant Mustang milestones of the past 40 years.

MUSTANG MILESTONES

• 1964: Mustang introduced April 17 at World’s Fair in New York
• 1964: 250,000th Mustang sold
• 1965: Mustang becomes the most successful new car by selling 418,812 units in its first model year
• 1966: One millionth Mustang rolls off the line at Dearborn Assembly plant in Michigan
• 1967: Mustang 390 GT wins Cars magazine’s “Top Performance Car of the Year”
• 1974: Mustang II wins Motor Trend’s “Car of the Year” award
• 1983: The California Highway Patrol purchases 400 Mustangs to help troopers keep pace with high-speed pursuits
• 1983: Mustang SVO introduced as 1984 model
• 1993: First-generation SVT Mustang Cobra introduced with a 5.0-liter V-8 producing 235 horsepower
• 1995: SVT Mustang Cobra R model produces 300 horsepower from its 5.8-liter V-8
• 2003: With a 4.6-liter supercharged V-8, SVT Mustang Cobra offers 390 horsepower
• 2004: Mustang celebrates its 40th anniversary with a special edition and a concept car at the North American International Auto Show
• 2005: All-new platform and clean-sheet design make Mustang faster, safer, more agile and better-looking than ever
• 2006: The modern Shelby Mustang lineup is born with the debut of the 2007 Shelby GT500 coupe and convertible
• 2006: Ford, Carroll Shelby, and Ford Racing joined forces to create a retail version of the Shelby GT-H Hertz rental car called the Shelby GT for the 2007 model year
• 2007: Ford Mustang receives top honors as Best Midsize Sporty Car in 2007 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS)
• 2007: Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the original Shelby Cobra GT500KR, Ford and Shelby collaborate on and debut a new ‘King of the Road’ Mustang with the 2008 Shelby GT500KR
• 2008: Nine Millionth Mustang Sold

Source: Ford Motor Company