Ford Mustang's Success And Its Strength Change The World Automotive Map

Ford Mustang's first ad, 1965. (Doc. Ford)

JAKARTA - The Ford Mustang is an iconic sports car from the United States which was first introduced in 1964.

This car has a distinctive design with a rounding body line and sharp lines, and is equipped with a powered engine. The Mustang didn't take long to become the best car in the eyes of the young people there. The interest of consumers is even greater because the price of the Ford Mustang was relatively affordable at that time.

Armed with a design and feature revolution carried, the Mustang sold more than 420,000 units in its first year and reached 1 million units two years after its launch.

Overall Mustangs are the most successful cars launched in the US. The car is also emotionally connected as Ford receives more than 4,000 fan letters from customers who fall in love with Mustangs.

As a result, the Mustang's success inspired other American manufacturers to produce similar cars in the following years including Chevrolet Camaro (1967), Pontiac Firebird (1967), AMC Javelin (1968), and Dodge Challenger (1970).

Mustangs also affected the world's coup design, including the effect of marketing Toyota Celica and Ford Capri in early sales in the United States.

Born From The Economic Crisis

In the Mustang's history published on the Ford page, the Mustang was born under US conditions in the 1960s, where Ford spent a lot of time and effort trying to anticipate a changing car buying environment due to the economic crisis and came to the conclusion that it had no products that matched consumer needs at the time.

But Ford's market research has consistently provided gaps in opportunities, where in 1962, 46% of new car purchases were made by college-level people, although in fact they only hit 18% of the total population.

In addition, more US families want to add a second car to their garage. The number of families who owned two or more cars increased from 1 million in 1959 to 13 million in 1963.

The research also shows that car owners are one of the fastest growing segments with female drivers increasing by 53% between 1956 and 1963.

In other words, all the research states that the market opportunity is large especially for young people, educated, can be brought and liked by women.

Armed with this, initially the Mustang was not made as a sports car that was speeding up with large energy and affordable prices.

The chassis itself was basically developed from the Ford Falcon chassis positioned as a cheap car despite its sporty shape with a long engine hood and narrowing nose mainly in the grip and according to Ford this shape was inspired by European sports cars at the time.

Yes, at the start, according to Ford, the Mustang was successful as a car that brought the company's goal. "It's quite polite to be taken to church, quite passionate for drag, quite fashionable for country club."

The Ford Mustang has undergone several design and technology evolutions since it was first launched, and the latest version of this car, the seventh generation Mustang, was introduced in 2022.

This latest version features a more modern and aerodynamic design, and is equipped with more powerful machines and more advanced technological features from a digital cockpit inspired fighter jets to advanced turbocharged engines and natural aspirations to its edgier exterior designs but timeless.

Most recently, the Ford Mustang has remained the world's best-selling sports car for the past 10 years. Carbuzz reported Monday, April 17, 2023, referring to S&P Global Mobility data showing that the United States is still the main driver behind Mustang sales with 78% of total global sales. Dave Bozeman of Ford stated that this success could not be separated from the enthusiasm of Mustang owners and fans around the world.

Mustang sales also grew in Germany by 17% in 2022. It increased by 14.4% in the UK. Mustang fever also hit Switzerland and the Middle East, with the market surging by 14.9% and 7.4%, respectively.

The Ford Mustang has become one of the most popular sports cars in the world, with a very loyal fan base and a large community. The iconic design and strong performance make the Mustang remain a timeless car and an inspiration for many people to pursue the dream of achieving freedom of driving.