Cheers! Raise your glass to iconic pony car on World Mustang Day

First unveiled on this day in 1964 at the New York World’s Fair, the Ford Mustang became an instant sensation.

The popular pony car redefined the American sports car segment, securing its place as an icon not only in that country but around the globe.

Each year since, Ford enthusiasts have come together to honour this legendary vehicle on 17 April for World Mustang Day.

“The Mustang is one of the world’s most iconic, recognisable and revered cars. The original model was conceived as an affordable coupe combining luxury and performance in a compact sporty design, and these continue to be the defining attributes of the latest seventh-generation Mustang,” says Sunil Sewmohan, director of product at Ford South Africa.

Over the past six decades Mustang has been an unrivalled success.

In 1964, a record 418 812 Mustangs were sold in America. The company then topped the one-million mark a year later and surpassed 10 million sales in 2018.

The Mustang has consistently led the sports car segment in America since its launch and held the accolade of being the world’s best-selling sports car for over a decade.

Ford Mustang in South Africa

Excluding the private left-hand drive imports, the sixth-generation Mustang was officially launched locally in 2015.

This was made possible by being the first generation produced in right-hand drive for global markets.

The Ford Mustang range included standard models and limited-edition versions such as the Bullitt, Mach 1, and California Special, which are in high demand among automotive enthusiasts.

More than 4 200 Mustangs have been sold in South Africa to date. This includes the seventh-generation Mustang GT. This latest version of the Mustang features the now fourth-generation 5.0-litre Coyote V8 powertrain.

The new model incorporates an edgier yet timeless exterior design and the most technologically advanced, driver-centric cockpit of any Mustang to date.

Last year, a more track-focused Mustang, the Dark Horse, was also introduced.

On the big screen

The Ford Mustang has remained a cultural touchstone from its classic fastback silhouette to its unmistakable growl. It appeared in countless films and television series. It first roared onto the silver screen in 1964 and appeared in some of Hollywood’s most memorable chase scenes.

One of the Ford Mustang’s earliest box office appearances was in the James Bond classic Goldfinger.

In a memorable chase scene, Bond drives it over winding Swiss mountain roads. It became known as the “64-and-a-half” Mustang convertible.

More recently, Gone in 60 Seconds featured Nicolas Cage behind the wheel of a gunmetal grey 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500, known as Eleanor.

The film sparked a cult following among car enthusiasts and street racers. It sparked an entire industry dedicated to recreating Eleanor clones from standard ’67 Mustangs.

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GTD sets a new record

With the introduction of the 2025 Mustang GTD as a limited-production, ultra-high-performance vehicle, Ford is taking the challenge to the world’s best sports cars.

Designed with Multimatic, the Mustang GTD features advanced aerodynamics, a semi-active suspension system, and a rear-mounted eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle for near-perfect weight distribution.

Powered by a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 with around 600 W on tap, it is the most powerful street-legal Mustang ever.

The 2025 Ford Mustang GTD made history as the first American-brand vehicle to complete a lap of Germany’s renowned Nürburgring Nordschleife in under seven minutes.

Driven by Multimatic Motorsports driver Dirk Müller, the 600kW Mustang GTD achieved an officially certified lap time of six minutes 57.685 seconds.

According to the Nürburgring’s official records, this marks the fifth-fastest time ever recorded by a stock production sports car.

It also makes the Mustang GTD the only sixth vehicle in its class to break the seven-minute barrier.

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Ford Mustang delivers on GT3 promise

The Mustang legacy continues in motorsports, with a comprehensive racing programme developed for the current model.

These include some of the world’s most competitive and iconic events and series.

The Mustang GT3 won one of motorsports’ most demanding endurance races, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, securing its first global GT3 win in January.

Ford has a storied legacy at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Mustang claimed its first 24-hour race victory in 1967 and now boasts 10 total wins. This includes events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing on the podium for the first time in 2024.