all images from the mustang source

the mustang design is one of the world's most popular cars and was introduced to the public on
april 17, 1964 at the new york's world fair.
advertisements appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers and on many major television networks.
more than four million people visited the showrooms, and 22,000+ cars were ordered on the first day.
earlier this month, creator of the american classic ford mustang donald nelson frey passed away
at the age of 86.



first-year sales totaled more than 417,000, shattering previous sales records of any one
model in the history of the automobile. however, the start was not always this easy as frey,
working as ford's assistant general manager and chief engineer was rejected four times
before given the green light for this two seater design. this was partly due to the failure
of another ford model called the 'edsel'.



much of the mustang design drew its influence from other existing ford models, including
the 'falcon chassis'. however, this american staple soon found its niche with a younger
generation who enjoyed the look and driving experience offered by the mustang. for them,
it combined the elegance of a european sports car while features like the a galloping steed
in the middle of the grille gave it an aesthetic cool.





the mustang was one amongst a whole class of pony cars. this line of vehicles are known
for their compact, small bodied designs with a large engine. initially introduced as a replacement
to the ford thunderbird, which got converted from a two seat speedster to a four seat luxury
car in 1958, pony cars was meant to appeal to a younger crowd looking for a vehicle with
an edgier look.



donald nelson frey was born on march 13, 1923 in waterloo, iowa. following in the footsteps
of his parents, he pursued a bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree in the subject of metallurgy
at the university of michigan upon which he soon joined ford's metallurgy laboratory department.
other accomplishments of his extensive career include acquiring the role of president at the general
cable corporation. meanwhile, in the 1970s and 80s, he pursued the title of chairman at bell & howell,
an american based manufacturer of motion picture machinery.