Mustang

There are times, in rare instances, that a fad turns a corner and becomes something more. The Beatles are a good example of this phenomenon. They invaded U.S. soil with their long hair and rock music. Many parents hoped that they were a fad that would eventually fade away, but instead, the Beatles went on to influence music for decades. The Beatles became a cultural icon and set the pace for rock music, as we now know it.

Another cultural icon is the Ford Mustang. One of the very first muscle cars, the Mustang set the tone for performance and handling and gave car makers new goals to reach if they wanted to compete. When the Ford Mustang was unveiled April 1964, other car manufacturers were sent on a mad dash to create their own versions of high performance cars just to keep up with the Mustang. However, the Pony car was in a class by itself - and still is. What the Beatles did for rock music, the Ford Mustang did for cars. The Mustang set a standard by which all other muscle cars would be compared.

From the moment that the Ford Mustang rolled off the production line, it was America's sweetheart. The Ford Mustang launch is considered one of the most successful product launches in automotive history. The unveiling created considerable excitement among the American pubic.

So much so that within the first 18 months more than one million units were sold. Of course, with so much excitement about a car that is as American as baseball and apple pie, there are bound to be legends surrounding it. Tales of men sleeping in their Mustangs at the dealership for several days while waiting for their checks to clear are just a taste of the stories that surround this American classic.

Ford's marketing campaign was not only genius for its day, but it was also one of the most profitable in history. The day before unveiling the Mustang, Ford ran Mustang commercials on the three major networks, ABC, NBC, and CBS, at 9:30 p.m. This created the buzz about the car that would eventually lead to a buying frenzy. The following day, April 17, 1964, the Ford Mustang was unveiled at the World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York.