56 years after its release, the Ford Mustang remains one of the most popular collector cars. As a classic that has penetrated American culture, TV, and movies, this car isn’t going anywhere. If you are lucky enough to be a Ford Mustang owner, are considering purchasing Ford Mustang, or would like a Ford Mustang insurance quote, here are some Mustang facts you should know!

1. The Mustang wasn’t originally a Mustang.

Many names were considered for this infamous car, some including the Panther and Torino. One name Ford strongly considered was the Cougar. Eventually the powers that be at Ford came to an agreement and decided on the name Mustang and the rest is history.

2. The car may not even be named after a horse.

Designer John Najjar claims that he first pitched the name Mustang after the WWII P-51 fighter plane, but when he presented the idea, it got rejected. He later pitched the same name, now telling Ford it was named after a type of horse – and the same name was then well received.

3. The commonly recognized horse logo on the Mustang took many forms before the release of the car.

From resembling a knight on a chess board, to changing the positioning of the horse, designers went through a long process before eventually perfecting the Ford Mustang logo.

4. The Mustang’s debut was at the New York World Fair in April 1964.

The night before its release, the Mustang was advertised on primetime TV on three major networks, so it wasn’t a surprise that 22,000 Mustangs were purchased almost immediately after the unveiling at a price of $2,368 each.

5. More than four times the forecasted number of Mustangs were sold in the first year.

Ford predicted about 100,000 Mustang sales in the first year, but ended up selling more than 400,000 cars.

6. The Ford Mustang is only one of a few cars to be released in a new model every year for over 50 years.

With its main competitors being the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird, Ford had to release a new Mustang model every year to keep up. It helped that both competitors ceased production in 2002. So, although they did begin to release new models, the Mustang consistently found itself on top.

7. In its 50+ years of existence, the Mustang has appeared in movies and tv shows more than 3,300 times.

The first major movie a Mustang appeared in was Goldfinger in 1964. A 1986 Mustang GT also appeared in the 1968 movie, Bullitt, and a 1976 Shelby GT appeared in the 2000 movie, Gone in Sixty Seconds.

8. Red continues to be the most popular Mustang color.

Although the car comes in a multitude of colors, red has always topped the list. Following red is blue, silver, white, black, green, brown, and yellow.

9. Ford almost released a Mustang station wagon.

In 1966, the idea of making a station wagon was almost made a reality. Two of these cars were actually made, but production never took off.

10. Now-a-days, classic Mustangs are in high demand, and are sold at a steep price.

In 2019, a 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake was sold in an auction at a price of $2.2 million, making it the most expensive Mustang to ever sell.

It doesn’t look like the popularity of the Ford Mustang is going to diminish anytime soon. However, it does seem as though the prices will continue to increase with no end in sight. So, if you don’t already own a Ford Mustang, you may consider purchasing one. One last Mustang fact, this classic is never going out of style!

Click to get a free classic car insurance quote on your classic Mustang.

Other articles containing Ford Mustang fun facts:

https://www.thrillist.com/cars/23-things-you-didn-t-know-about-ford-mustangs

https://mustangmaniac.org/50-cool-mustang-facts

https://mentalfloss.com/article/66494/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-ford-mustang