Today in HistoryâApril 17: The Introduction of the Ford Mustang
On this day in 1964, visitors to the largest exhibit at the New York Worldâs Fair didnât just get to glimpse Ford Motor Companyâs brand-new carâthey got to ride in it.
The Ford Mustangâa four-seat, two-door, V8 convertibleâferried fairgoers from prehistory to space on the Magic Skyway, a 12-minute, half-mile ride designed by none other than Walt Disney. The journey took passengers from dinosaurs and jungles all the way to the future, which naturally featured flying cars.
And it all unfolded from the front seat of a car that Ford was betting would come to define a generation.
It was a completely audacious debut and totally out of step with industry norms: New car models always debuted in the fall.
The exhibit at the fair was attended by more than 4 million people in its first two days alone. By the time it ended, nearly 15 million riders had gotten closely acquainted with the Mustang.
The idea was years in the making. Development began in 1961, with an aim to capture a new corner of the market by making an affordable, sporty carâfun but practicalâfor baby boomers coming of age with discretionary income.
In February 1964, Lee Iacocca, vice president of Ford, announced that a new car would be released in the spring. Thatâs it. Thatâs the message.
The four colors of Mustangs at the fair were Raven Black, Wimbledon White, Guardsman Blue, and Rangoon Red.
And, oh, what a release it was. Every Ford dealership in the country was sent at least one Mustang to have on display on this date in 1964, to correspond with the debut at the fairâs Ford Pavilion (officially the Wonder Rotunda).
In preparation for the April 17 release, about 150 preproduction Mustangs were built. Twelve went into service on the ride, with their chassis strapped to conveyor belts and their fuel tanks removed for safety.
The base model cost $2,368 (about $25,000 today), an accessibly priced pony car that also offered a long list of upgrade options for buyers with more cash.
Ford sold roughly 22,000 the first day.
More than 10 million Mustangs have been sold since, proof that Ford did, in fact, capture a generation (and kept right on finding the next one).
- 418,000: Mustangs sold the first year (a record for a single model)
- 34 trips around Earth: Equivalent distance covered on the Magic Skyway ride in 1964
- $1.1 billion: Fordâs profits from Mustang sales in its first two years
- 1397: Geoffrey Chaucer gives his first reading of The Canterbury Tales
- 1534: Sir Thomas More is imprisoned after running afoul of King Henry VIII
- 1982: Canada becomes a wholly independent, sovereign state