Ford Thunderbird Cougar
Ford Thunderbird Cougar
Ford Mustang Magic - How it all began
Ford Motor Company has sold well over 10 million Mustangs in the last 46 years and 100 million more memories created to adolescent indulgence, magical and memorable first dates Friday evening cruises. Now that the fifth generation 2011 Mustang rolled off the assembly line at Ford dealerships and showrooms throughout the country, many who experienced and reveled in the Mustang mystique think back how it all began.
The first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan, on 9 March 1964. A month later, on 17 April 1964, Mustang made its worldwide debut. But the journey from drawing board to assembly line and driveways on the throughout the American landscape began many years earlier, in fact, in the fertile imagination of a young man named Lee Iacocca.
Iacocca joined the Ford organization in 1946. Although trained as an engineer, he soon becomes his passion and personal future was realized in sales. Iacocca spent years as a field manager helping dealers to promote and sell some of Ford's unwanted products.
In 1956 his "56 for $ 56" campaign, advertising that the buyer could a new 1956 Ford for just $ 56 purchase per month, caught the attention of management. Robert McNamara, then vice president of Ford Division, summoned him to Detroit. Once there, Iacocca, sales savvy helped him now every other lap on the executive fast lane. In 1960, Ford Chairman Henry Ford promoted him to vice president and II General Manager of Ford Division.
Iacocca was long thought that putting the background in a sports car would be a good idea. He argued that a well designed, Fun-to-drive small car would appeal to America's growing number of baby boomers.
After a series of presentations for Ford board members, the first prototype 1962 Mustang I was produced. It was a mid-engined two-seater roadster, named after the legendary World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane. On 7 October 1962, drove racing driver Dan Gurney, the Mustang I prototype of the U.S. Grand Prix Circuit in Watkins Glen, New York.
Iacocca wanted, but a more practical vehicle, produce, and the cheap would generate sales volumes. Based on his time in the field as Ford district manager, knew that he would be his last success on three things: great styling, strong performance and low price.
After countless re-designs, created from the 1964 ½ Mustang. The chassis, suspension and drivetrain components were taken from the Ford Falcon, but the finished vehicle has a long sweeping hood, full wheel cutouts of a functional rear seat and high-mounted grill with a free spirit Mustang at the core. Several extra-cost options giving the buyer the opportunity to customize their Mustang and also generate large additional profits for Ford
Automotive legend, other names included for the first Mustang as the Cougar, Thunderbird II, T-Bird II, Torino, Turin, and T-5. Ford executives agree that the Mustang name a perfect fit for the deep crouch, dramatically styled car, but she objected to the image of a WWII fighter plane as Logo.
After months of debate it was decided that the image of the galloping horse best represented the free spirit of the car and its intended buyers. To further appears to drive home the message that the galloping horse on the Mustang logo is in the opposite direction, trained race horses run around a track.
Although purists argue that the Plymouth Barracuda, Ford Mustang hit the market by a full two weeks, the American car buyer had never seen or something as the marketing and advertising blitz Ford created for the 1964 ½ Mustang startup experience.
The official press release announced, "styling and features of expensive European road cars with American series-Price, compact, economy and quality are combined in traditional Ford, the Mustang - a new line of cars from Ford Division of Ford Motor Company. "
Ford actually preview of the showroom model Mustang to a steady flow of reporters and automotive buff book authors from January 1964. Product information and photos were provided by Ford put under an embargo, meaning reporters agreed not to all details until the official launch the public to reveal.
However, the embargo does not prevent them from filling their pages and publications with speculation about how the new Mustang would be created or what it might look like. It was all part of the car-maker plan, buyer excitement and anticipation to a feverish pitch during the build to last three months before the start of the Mustang.
Ford also leaked information about some important publications. In early March, the Detroit Free Press received a anonymous tip that Walter Buhl Ford II, the nephew of Chairman Henry Ford II, seen a prototype Mustang Convertible went to a luncheon in downtown Detroit. Photos published soon in the newspaper, as well as in Time and Newsweek.
In late March and early April 1964, Life, Look, Business Week, including Esquire, Sports Illustrated and The Wall Street Journal, as well as any car buff books and magazine features about the all-new Mustang.
On April 16th1964, Ford preview Car to an estimated 29 million television viewers with ads that ran just 21.30 clock on all three major networks ABC, NBC and CBS.
To 17 April 1964, newspapers in 2600 across the country ran full-page ad displays, and a long feature article. A flood of print and television advertising also followed, were as fictional ads in swingers wallflower transformed as soon as they heard a Ford Mustang. In the same week, Lee Iacocca and the Mustang were also featured on the covers of both Time and Newsweek.
The stage was set for what would now be one of the boldest and most exciting new car introductions will set ever conceived.
About the Author
About ShipCarsNow – About Wally Koster, Freelance Writer
Wally Koster is a retired marketing and advertising executive with more than 40 years experience in the automotive industry. He now enjoys life as a freelance writer for ShipCarsNow and is a published philatelist. Visit http://www.shipcarsnow.com.
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