On 17th April 1964, Ford launched a car that didn’t just start a new model line — it created an entirely new category of vehicle. The Ford Mustang was the original pony car: sporty, affordable, endlessly customisable, and instantly, overwhelmingly desirable. Ford reportedly sold 22,000 on its very first day. Six generations and more than 10 million cars later, the legend shows absolutely no sign of slowing down.
The First Generation: Where It All Began (1964–1973)
The 1964½ Mustang arrived at the New York World’s Fair and immediately rewrote what an affordable sports car could be. Available as a Hardtop, Convertible, and — from 1965 — the iconic Fastback, the first-generation Mustang grew progressively more powerful through its nine-year run, culminating in thunderous performance variants like the Boss 302, Boss 429, and the legendary Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT500.
Today, first-generation Mustangs are among the most coveted classic American muscle cars in the world. A well-documented 1967 Shelby GT500 regularly achieves €130,000 at European auction. Boss 429s — with only 1,359 ever built — command significantly more. Originality, matching numbers, and documented history are the difference between a good buy and a truly exceptional one.
The Evolution: Fox Body to the Modern Era
The Mustang II (1974–1978) remains the controversial chapter — downsized in response to the fuel crisis and generally overlooked by collectors today. The Fox Body (1979–1993) redeemed everything, giving the Mustang back its purpose and spawning the increasingly collectable SVT Cobra Terminator of 2003–04, whose supercharged V8 is now firmly on the modern classic radar.
The 2005 Mustang brought retro styling back and a new generation of fans. The 2007 Shelby GT500 — 500bhp, supercharged V8, and a name that carries enormous weight — became an instant modern classic. The 2015–2020 Shelby GT350R, with its flat-plane crank Voodoo V8 and track-honed chassis, is already attracting serious collector interest at auction.
The S650: The Most Advanced Mustang in History
The current seventh-generation Mustang (2024–) raises the stakes on every metric. The Mustang GT — 439bhp from the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre Coyote V8 — starts from £55,585 in the UK. The Mustang Dark Horse adds 500bhp and a Tremec manual gearbox for the committed driver. And then there is the extraordinary Mustang GTD: 804bhp, 202mph, a Nürburgring lap of 6 minutes 52 seconds, and a price of £315,000. The most extreme Mustang ever made, and arguably the most extreme road car with an American badge.
Advertisement. Compare car insurance quotes. We may receive commission if you use links on this site to compare quotes.
