Autoworld: Ford Mustang 60 Years

Between May 3 and June 30, Autoworld will highlight the sixtieth anniversary of the Ford Mustang with the ‘Ford Mustang 60 Years’ exhibition. Celebrating Sixty Golden Years.’ In addition to the temporary exhibition with fifteen unique Mustangs and many miniatures from the collection of Eric Janssen, several events are also planned. For example, there will be an Exclusive Show Night on May 3rd, including a ‘Night of Sound’ with roaring Mustangs, where separate entry tickets are available. And on June 16, not coincidentally the birthday of the Ford Motor Company, hundreds of Mustangs will travel to Brussels for Mustang & Coffee on the Esplanade for Autoworld. Ford Mustang’s participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans will not go unnoticed. Autoworld will also be unveiling its ’66 Ford Mustang promotional car soon, which will participate in various events, notably the Trade Revival and the Fastest Fashion Show.

(press release)

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to one of the proudest moments of our lives.” It was with this can that Ford Vice President Lee Iacocca introduced the Ford Mustang to the public in 1964. And Iacocca could rightly be proud of the Ford, which would be the car of the 1960s, but seven generations later it was also one of the longest models ever produced. . Autoworld is also pleased to put the Ford Mustang in the spotlight between May 3 and June 30 to celebrate 60 years of the Ford Mustang.

This special show is organized by Autoworld in collaboration with Ford Belgium and with the support of Adelbert Engler’s Mustang Garage.

Mustang Boom

The Ford Mustang was launched in 1964 with sky-high expectations and the ‘Blue Oval.’ The Ford Mustang, named after the P-51 fighter jet of the same name from WWII, would exceed all expectations. The 1966 Ford Mustang that Autoworld will use as a promotional vehicle will highlight in its own way the link to the P-51. The baby boom generation loved the Mustang and turned that time’s spirit of optimism into Mustang precepts. Expected sales of 100,000 copies in 1964 became 400,000 copies. Two years later, a million Mustangs rolled off the production line. Naturally, a copy from the very first year of production will be present at Autoworld.

Icon

The Mustang quickly became an icon, and popular culture helped make it happen. ‘Mustang Sally’ was sung by Wilson Pickett, while Martha Reeves And The Vandellas shot the music video for ‘Nowhere To Run’ on the Ford Mustang production line. And in films like ‘Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez,’ Mustang’s first worldwide film, but also ‘Bullit,’ ‘Un Homme et Une Femme’ and ‘Goldfinger,’ contributed to the model’s popularity.

Shelby

On the sports side, the legendary Carroll Shelby was employed with the Shelby Mustang GT350 and GT500 to cater to a more demanding and sporty clientele. The GT500 would later become world famous as ‘Eleanor’ in the remake of ‘Gone In 60 Seconds.’ ‘Eleanor’ will also be there. In the 1960s, rental company Hertz would use a fleet of Shelby GT350s in their ‘Rent-a-Racer’ program. Many novice racers took that literally and rented GT350s for the weekend to compete in elite races. The Shelby GT 350 and ‘Rent-a-Racer’ will be on display. Ford still created its sports versions, such as the Mach 1, which was immortalized by James Bond in ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ and is also revered in Autoworld.

Mustang II Monroe Handler

From 1974 onwards the second generation arrived, which could not match the characteristic conditions of the first generation due to increased competition, production levels, but on the outbreak of the oil crisis. Lee Lacocca, now the president of the Ford Motor Company, felt the conditions of the times perfectly and asked for a smaller, more economical version of the Mustang, but without compromise in terms of build quality. Farah Fawcett however made the Mustang II very popular in Charlie’s Angels. A four-cylinder version was even offered. Despite the disappearance of the convertible version and lower sports versions, the Mustang remained a sales block. The most unusual Mustang II is probably the Monroe Handler, with a powerful racing engine and impressive extra equipment. Only eight were built, only one of which had a T-roof. The car will also be shown at Autoworld, thanks to owner Adelbert Engler, a Mustang expert in Belgium and elsewhere.

Vehicle Movement

The third generation came in 1979 and was given a styling update until 1993. The Mustang grew again in size, with the goal of more comfort. The retro style was never released again, but the convertible returned after nine years. The Mustang also became the fastest race car in the 1979 Indy 500. Ford launched plans to release the Mustang in a front-wheel drive variant for the next generation, but die-hard Mustang fans protested and held to the values ​​that. it immediately made the Mustang a classic.

Stories

Ford listened carefully and for the fourth generation, launched 30 years after the original Mustang and the first major styling update in 15 years, the Mustang returned to a sportier design. And especially with the fifth generation from 2005. It is no coincidence that the design of the first generation was restored. The link with the first generation was immediately apparent and Mustang fans around the world once again embraced the Mustang, while of course new fans were also created, whether or not through cameos in popular films such as ‘I Am Legend.’ Shelby was also consulted again for more sporty models.

Mach-E

With the sixth generation, launched by the 50th anniversary of the Mustang, Ford continued that usual pace and success. The model became wider and lower, giving it a sportier look, while innovative engines such as the 2.3-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder as well as the original V6 and V8 engines also made the Mustang attractive to a wider audience and in markets affected by increase. environmental standards were not clear for heavy engine blocks. In 2021, the first electric Mustang also came to the market, Mach-E, which is also called Cross Over, instead of a pure sports car, but with the same features of the first generation model.

The Mustang is now in its seventh generation. Ford Belgium will show two seventh-generation models during the opening weekend. So be there for Preview Night on May 3rd, an unmissable appointment at Autoworld for every true Mustang fan. In addition to the many Mustangs and miniatures on display, the 60s layout and DJ will contribute to the atmosphere of the golden sixties. But the stars of the evening will be the Mustangs that will rev their engines during the ‘Night of Sound’. Tickets for this special opening night are free and cost €25, but be quick because every true Mustang fan already wants to be there.