The Ford Mustang: Ride on, Sally, Ride on!

The GTO remains even today synonymous with American muscle, even if it is Australian by birth, as evidenced by the enormous interest and following over the 2003 – 2006 remakes. The Mustang, however, is purely American, and its long run as the iconic sporty, sometimes muscle car continues to this day, despite the inevitable ups and downs since the fall of 1964. It is truly an egalitarian, classless vehicle, as well, appropriate to the American scene, meaning that both a corporation CEO and a blue collar stiff can drive a Mustang GT, and respect each other for doing so. There is no snob appeal among Mustang owners, at least not GT and performance grade (read Shelby) followers. Its most iconic model is the 1965 with a 289 cubic inch V-8. With each and every year to 1973 the Mustang became heavier and fatter-looking, although big block engines compensated for the weight, culminating with the 429 Cobra Jet. In 1974, in response to the first energy crisis, the Mustang II was introduced, a wrong turn in terms of quality and performance. Some of the early 1980s Mustangs were simply horrible cars, but the 1989-1993 design marked a clear resurgence that continues today with the eager anticipation over the release of the 2010 version.

Lee Iacocca is often given credit for the marketing insights that led to the Ford Mustang, yet, as Iacocca recounts in his autobiography, the Mustang story was far more complex than simply tracing it to the genius of one executive. The idea behind the car was conceived by Gene Bordinat, Ford’s Vice President of design, and Don DeLaRossa Ford’s chief of advanced design. Yet, Iaccocca will always be known as the father of the Mustang.

On April 13, 1964, the Mustang was born, unveiled by Lee Iacocca to the international press at the New York World’s Fair. It was an event described by one journalist as “the most sensational introduction of modern times.” Car and Driver proclaimed that the Mustang was “the best thing to come out of Dearborn since the 1932 V-8 Model B Roadster.” Named after the P-51 fighter, and not the wild horse, it became an instant success with an American public increasingly obsessed with things associated with youth. Within two weeks of its debut 22,000 units were sold, and by 1966 sales totaled over 1 million.

One key to the Mustang’s popularity was the possibility to reflect an owner’s personality by accessorization. The culmination of the strategies first formulated by Ford’s Lewis Crusoe in the 1950s, accessorization enabled Lee Iacocca and Ford marketing to take a car that was based on the stogy Ford Falcon and dress it up in an unprecedented way. A customer could purchase on of seven 1965 Mustang models, including a coupe, convertible, fastback and GT-350 fastback. The first three came with either an inline 6 or a V-8 engine. The Mustang’s price range started at $2,368 for a “sweet six cylinder,” and peaked at $4,547 for the GT-350. Iacocca “took a basic car and added bells and whistles … quick and easy options that not only added to the car’s appeal but put profit in both the dealer’s and the manufacturer’s pockets.”

The success of the Mustang was the result of more than just a product that was precisely what consumers wanted. It was advertised heavily after launch, as it was featured in over 2600 newspapers and 24 magazines, as well as the chief sponsor of three television shows. Before long, every American household was aware of the new car. And by Christmas of 1964 the Mustang was a popular toy. One popular toy was the Mustang Pedal Car, made by American Machine and Foundry (AMF). AMF paid for “full paged ads in at least a half a dozen major magazines…also enticing mom and dad to put themselves behind the wheel of a somewhat larger, fossil-fuel-fired ponycar convertible.” There were also metal and plastic models, some battery-powered with working headlights, taillights and instrument panels.

Since 1965 the Mustang has been in over 200 spy, action and comedy films. Its’ first film debut was less than six months after its public unveiling, as it appeared in the James Bond film Goldfinger. While James, played by Sean Connery, is driving his DB-5, he playfully obstructs a white Mustang convertible, driven by an extremely attractive young woman. Yet the Mustang’s appearance is brief, as its tire is shredded by a DB-5 countermeasure. In Thunderball, a 1966 Mustang was used, and in similar fashion, the 1971 thriller Diamonds are Forever featured a fastback Mach I. Other films that featured Mustangs include Bullitt, Gone in Sixty Seconds (both the 1974 and1998 versions), The Thomas Crown Affair, The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie’s Angels, Cape Fear, Bull Durham, Hollywood Homicide, and Death Match.

Mustangs had influence on music as well as film. And the most popular of all Mustang songs was Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally.” Produced by Jerry Wexler, Pickett recorded the song at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in 1966. It became an instant classic, rising to 23 on the Billboard Pop Chart. The song was about Sally, who only wanted to drive her 1965 Mustang all around town, which was bought for her by the singer. As the chorus reminded the listener,, “all she wants to do is ride around Sally, ride, Sally, Ride.” Originally composed by Mack Rice with the title “Mustang Momma,” it was changed to Mustang Sally on the suggestion of Aretha Franklin. Interestingly, the chorus came from a children’s song chorus “rise, Sally rise,” that Rice enjoyed as a child while growing up in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

What is so important about the Mustang, however, was that despite its phenomenal initial sales, Ford’s overall market share remained nearly the same. Thus, what the Mustang did was take buyers away from other Ford product lines, rather than from GM, Chrysler, or the imports.

---