Happy 60th Birthday, Mustang!

A 60^th birthday is a cause for celebration, especially for a car as iconic and loved as the Ford Mustang. 
 

On April 17, 1964, the first-generation Mustang was revealed to the public at the New York World’s Fair, and quickly tore up the record books – selling more than 418,000 cars in its first year.
 
It hasn’t lifted off the gas since – Mustang is the bestselling sports car for globally for more than 10 years ² and more than 10 million examples have been sold across seven generations. The famous sports car has made thousands of appearances in film, television, music and video games, and has become the world’s most-liked vehicle on Facebook.
 

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To celebrate Mustang’s birthday, we’ve introduced two new versions for Europe, as well as sharing more info on two more special models – and revealing our plans for a global Mustang road trip.

One of those new versions is the Mustang California Special, which puts a modern twist on a special edition first introduced in 1968. Available only as a convertible for roof-down cruising in true west-coast, 5.0-litre V8 style, our Mustang California Special features eye-catching side stripes with a unique GT/CS script that is almost invisible in low light but that comes to life in the sunshine.
 
The 19-inch alloy wheels get Rave Blue segments, while the GT/CS badge on the front and GT badge on the rear are picked out in blue too. The interior also gets vibrant details, with Navy Pier upholstery and Ebony Black leather seats, and unique Raptor Blue and Metal Grey stitching running around dashboard, doors and steering wheel.

We’ve also revealed the new Nite Pony Package available for our V8-powered Mustang GT coupe and convertible. It gives Mustang a darker edge, with Ebony Black-painted alloy wheels, roof, mirror caps and headlamp bezels. The front and rear Pony badges are finished in black too, so there’ll be no doubt that this is a mean machine.
 
Mustang California Special and Nite Pony Package can be ordered from today, and Mustang fans don’t have long to wait for another new member of the family.

Our Mustang Mach-E Rally ³ is available to order from April 30. Grabbing attention like it grips Tarmac or dirt roads, Mustang Mach-E Rally stands out with its twin racing stripes, unique front end design, a dramatic rear spoiler and 19-inch, gloss white wheels inspired by our adventures in competitive rallying.
 
With all-wheel drive and twin electric motors it has 950 Nm ^{4, 5} of torque and 486 PS ^{4, 5} of power, while the specially tuned suspension is 20 mm higher than Mustang Mach-E GT to give extra ground clearance for dirt roads.
 
Plus our Mustang GTD – ⁶ the most audacious and advanced Mustang ever – is coming to Europe.
 
The street-legal, ultra-high-performance Mustang GTD has cutting-edge, racecar-derived tech including active aerodynamics and semi-active suspension, and will be available to buy in strictly limited numbers.
 
You can see the Mustang GTD make its first public appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race on June 15-16, where our Mustang GT3 will be competing for the first time.

“Few – if any – vehicles can claim a history, legacy and worldwide following as rich as the Ford Mustang, and even fewer have been in continuous production for 60 years. Today’s celebrations and our new additions to the Mustang line-up capture the spirit of freedom and fun that has been a cornerstone of Mustang success over six decades – and are now inspiring the technologies to keep Mustang galloping into the future.”

 

Jon Williams,

general manager, Ford Blue, Europe

 
We’re also taking our celebrations worldwide with the Ford Mustang Global Gallop. From today and continuing throughout 2024, 60 Mustang ambassadors, journalists and content creators will undertake epic road trips simultaneously in North America, South America, Europe, South Africa, China and Australia – including Andy To (@Andyto), Lauren Stoney (@lalafox92) and Uma Leoni (@Leonis.studios).
 
 
¹ Mustang 5.0-litre V8 CO₂ emissions 274-282 g/km and fuel efficiency 12.0-12.4 l/100 km WLTP. CO₂ emission and fuel efficiency ranges may vary according to vehicle variants offered by individual markets.
 
The declared WLTP fuel/energy consumptions, CO₂-emissions and electric range are determined according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EU) 2017/1151 as last amended. The applied standard test procedures enable comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers.
 
² Based on S&P Global Mobility global light vehicle registrations aggregated over the last 10 years. These are compiled from government and other sources and capture 95 percent of global new vehicle volumes in more than 80 countries. Sports car, as defined by S&P Global Mobility, includes two-door coupe and convertible models.
 
³ Up to 510 km driving range based on full charge of Mustang Mach-E Rally. Estimated range using Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Figures shown are for comparison purposes and should only be compared with other vehicles tested to the same technical procedures. Actual range varies due to real world drive conditions such as temperature, driving behaviour, route profile, vehicle maintenance, lithium-ion battery age and condition.
 
⁴ Calculated via peak performance of the electric motors at peak battery power. Your results may vary.
 
⁵ Maximum power output and torque output are independent attributes and may not be achieved simultaneously.
 
⁶ Officially homologated fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions will be published closer to on-sale date. In accordance with the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP).

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Charge Around The Globe – The great journey east across the USA

After Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia and South America, Lexie is finally back on her home soil of the United States of America. From the familiarity of Los Angeles, where Lexie worked as an airport chauffeur when she was still a teenager, she points the Explorer towards the glitz of Las Vegas, passing iconic scenery along the way.

While the comfort of familiarity and excitement of exploring more of her home country are setting up the US leg to be a memorable one, there are also the challenges of ice-cold conditions and huge climbs into mountains ahead to contend with.  There’s also an unexpected challenge. The unmodified pre-production Ford Explorer is unable to DC fast charge properly on the whole of the US network, meaning charges that should have taken around 30 minutes end up being several hours on AC charging.

The delays caused by longer charging slow her journey down and add another element of concern as she travels onwards, following the Colorado river and into the Rocky Mountains where the cold weather and icy road conditions need careful navigation. Fortunately, the Explorer’s range remains good and with the availability of hot coffee along the way a sense of optimism returns.

From Colorado Springs, the journey heads north-east towards Ogallala and Lexie has the opportunity to meet the Roberts sisters, Savannah and Aleeyah, who are renowned for their achievements in rodeo. Swapping car seat for saddle, Lexie learns about the extraordinary dedication, the role of family and the values of respect, accountability and community that are core to the sisters’ love of the sport. Although it becomes clear that for the pair of them, it’s more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle.

With the charging issue fixed thanks to Ford experts, DC charging is now possible and gets the journey back up to speed again as the Explorer heads onto flatter ground, crossing state boarders on a nearly daily basis. Past swathes of cattle farms, Lexie reaches Iowa City giving her a taste of city life which only serves to ramp up the excitement about the next stop, Chicago.

Despite growing up in the countryside, Lexie is always excited about the vibrancy and diversity of cities and Chicago is one city she has never visited before. But there are mixed feelings as Chicago also signifies that the end of the USA leg is near, and soon she’ll return to Europe for the final stretch of her epic journey around the world.

You can follow Lexie and the Ford Explorer’s Charge Around the Globe at Ford News Europe’s X, Instagram and YouTube as well as at Lexie’s Instagram and YouTube. Or simply follow the #ChargeAroundTheGlobe hashtag.  

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