50th Anniversary of the Ford Mustang (Video)

It’s not unusual to see a lot of Mustangs on the roads in our area, but this weekend if you are anywhere near the Kannapolis-Concord-Charlotte area, you’re probably going to feel like you’re in the middle of biggest herd of Mustangs ever assembled.

Thousands of Mustang lovers and their cars from all over the US and beyond are in town for one of the official celebrations marking 50 years since the legendary Pony Car went on sale.

The Mustang debuted at the World’s Fair, in New York. The starting price was $2,300. More than 400,000 sold within the first year of production. “Ford hit a home run when they pulled out the Ford Mustang, in 1964,” Jackie Frady, President and Executive Director of the National Automobile Museum said. “It was this incredible sports car that came out with a design we hadn’t ever seen before.”

“When it came out, it kind of lit the world on fire,” Richard West, Used Car Manager at Jones West Ford said.

Since then, the muscle car has been featured in more than 3,000 TV shows and films.

Wheeler says the cars also receive lots of attention off the big screen. “People either just stop and stare or their mouth drops open, or if they’re in what they consider a fast car, they want to race,” Wheeler said.

After five decades, the Mustang is still known for its versatility. “If you were that young guy, you could get this sporty Ford Mustang that was so cool-looking and have the performance package on it,” Frady said. “But if you were that young family, you could still get that great-looking sports car that had a back seat for the children, a trunk for the groceries.”

The 2015 model will come out in July.

Agencies/Canadajournal