Fifty-four years ago we were on the verge of a new revolution in automobiles. No longer was there going to be boring cars, no longer would you have to buy a sports car from a foreign car company, or be limited to one American brand. Ford Motor Company was about to change everything. With the Ford Mustang, they did change everything and started a whole new “Pony Car” craze, which is as strong today as it was then.
That one car was the Mustang, the first of the pony cars was the first real modern car for America. Ushering in the sports car fad of the 1960’s. And the car that took America by storm, and becomes the desired car to have, as well as a heartthrob in movies and on the street.
Global demand for the Ford Mustang has made it the best selling Sports Coupe for the third straight year running in the world. Mustang registrations worldwide in 2017 totaled 125,809 cars, according to Ford analysis of the most recent new light vehicle registration data from IHS Markit from data compiled capturing 95 percent of new vehicle volumes in more than 80 countries.
“The world is falling in love with Mustang,” says Erich Merkle, Ford sales analyst. “Mustang represents the best of American design, performance, and freedom, with an unmistakable personality that’s appeals – regardless of your postcode.”
Of the nearly 126,000 vehicles registered worldwide, Ford reported 81,866 of those were sold in the United States, meaning just over one-third of all Mustang registrations are occurring in export markets. Demand remains particularly strong in China, where Mustang was the bestselling sports coupe last year based on 7,125 registrations.
The most popular configuration worldwide is the Mustang GT with the 5.0-liter V8.
While sports cars have traditionally skewed toward male buyers in the United States, Mustang is increasingly finding favor with women. In an environment of relatively flat sports car sales to women. Ford research shows a 10 percent gain in women buying Mustang in the last five years.
Since global exports began in 2015, through December 2017, Ford has sold 418,000 Mustangs around the world.
Content for this piece came from the National Mustang Day press release from Ford.
William West Hopper.
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