Ford unveils 50th-anniversary Mustang

[Russell Larcombe]

Congratulations are most certainly in order, as one of the greatest and most iconic cars the world has ever seen reaches its 50^th birthday. And to celebrate the occasion, Ford has unveiled the latest addition to the Mustang family.

Car enthusiasts the world over have been awaiting the 50^th anniversary of the Mustang’s release, knowing full well that the car giant would go to extra lengths to make the occasion as memorable as possible.

The Ford Mustang, originally unveiled in April 1964 at the New York World’s Fair, has been a mainstay in the muscle-car industry for the past five decades. The choice of car for movie stars, one edition was even named after the 1968 Steve McQueen film Bullitt, which provided one of the most memorable chases the car has ever starred in. Want a reminder of that classic bit of cinema? Watch the famous scene here 

The name might be synonymous with that iconic red paintjob and the roar of a 540-litre engine, but Mustang wasn’t always the first choice. Henry Ford II wanted to call the car the T-bird II, while advertising moguls at Ford felt that the names Cougar and Torino (which would be taken by a car released in 1968) would be better received by the consumer.

Ten years ago, consumers were similarly excited by the prospect of a 40^th-anniversary Mustang, the first of which happened to be the 300-millionth car made under the name. Five years later, a special-edition car with a glass roof was unveiled, complete with limited-edition Mustang badge.

 

Image courtesy of Motorparks.co.uk

So how about the latest release? Of course, the 50^th-anniversary design draws inspiration from the original car, though slim headlights and an absence of door grooves give the new model a sleek, modern look. The interior has been similarly revamped, with designer Anthony Prozzi leading the way to create a high-quality dashboard that automobile writers have likened to an airliner cockpit.

As always, some have been critical of the car’s sleek shape, with John Scott Lewinski of CraveOnline.com likening it to modern Japanese or Korean design, indicating a move away from the American tradition of the Mustang.

The new Mustang will be available in the US in Autumn 2014 and throughout Europe and Asia in 2015, in the UK you will see it in the new Ford section of Motorparks.co.uk, but in the meantime you will have to make do with pictures, some nice ones over at the official Ford Mustang site.

[Steve Townsend]

My Mustang and I share our 50th birthday this year and it's interesting to see the new Mustang and how different it looks to the original. I kind of feel Ford have missed a trick here and gone "too safe" to appeal to the mass market by making the car more European looking. From the side it even has the look of a Hyundai Coupe certainly the lines towards the back of the car. That said I'm pleased they've gone for 2 engine options with the Eco-boost to keep the environmentalists happy and a nice new V8.

I'm sure the design of this car was leaked probably a year or so ago because Hyundai have certainly taken advantage with the design of their Equus Bass (Google it for images). This looks like a late 60's Mustang fastback with a strange Mustang / Camaro cross front end.

Hopefully our local Ford dealer will be chosen to be a retailer for the new 'Stang and it will not be only restricted to the dealers in the main cities. I'll definitely consider swapping the wife's Z4 for the 'vert.