On this day 53 years ago the Ford Mustang was unveiled at the World’s Fair in New York — now the date is celebrated across the country.
Monday marks the third annual National Mustang Day.
To celebrate, Ford is announcing plans to extend production of the Shelby GT350 and GT350R. The vehicles will include a 5.2 liter V-8 engine and are expected to hit showrooms this fall.
On the Now Detroit we celebrated by taking a 2017 Ford GT convertible on the street to see what it can do.
“Go ahead and pedal it in,” said Varsity Auto Group sales and leasing expert Shannon Catlett, the Mustang expert who allowed us to take a 435 horsepower convertible on the road to celebrate.
It took only a few seconds until Catlett and I are were laughing.
The Mustang is a true throwback. Anyone who looks at the car can see the connection to the original Mustangs that came off the Ford assembly line. As Catlett noted, many of the people who show up looking to buy a Mustang do so for the nostalgia — but they’re often pleased.
“It sells itself,” said Catlett. “I mean, it’s been out since 1964. The memories people have with it. It’s about the memories it makes for itself, each person is going to say, ‘Back when I was 16 I had a blue one, do you guys sell a blue one?’”
This year between 7,000 and 8,000 Mustang enthusiasts are expected to drive their vehicles with Ford vehicle clubs, each with specialized National Mustang Day decals.
Year-to-year the National Mustang Day group is looking to grow the brand so that people learn the history of the vehicle, and the decades-long tradition of the car.
In Ann Arbor, where Catlett works at Varsity Ford, mustangs still fly off the lot. In fact, his family has a Mustang GT. His mother does too.
“That’s the only way to go, isn’t it?” said Catlett, when asked if it’s become his family’s main car.
In addition to the new production of the Shelby GT350 and GT350R, Ford announced three new colors for their 2018 Shelby model: Orange Fury, Kona Blue and Lead Foot Gray.
