Hey guess who turned 41 and I missed it? Ya, a few days ago the Mustang, my all time favorite car, turned 41 and I forgot to tell it, “Happy Birthday”. If you’re interested (why do I say if, I know you are!), then make sure you get the full 411 on it’s 41 years (not awesome, ’cause we did have to live through those Mustang II years — yuck!) of pure sweetness. Doing what Camero/TA’s, Chargers, and GTO’s couldn’t; lasting all those years without a single break!

Intensive market research in 1960 revealed that the postwar population boom would expand by 40 percent before the decade was over and this category would account for more than half of the new car sales in the time period.

These demographics established that there was a sizable, young, affluent market ready and waiting for something distinctively new, sporty and exciting, but not too radical or expensive. Lee Iaccoca is reputed to have described the climate in 1961 as that of “a market in search of a car.”

The T-5 (Mustang 1) was introduced in October, 1962 at Watkins Glen for those attending the U.S. Grand Prix. Dan Gurney and Sterling Moss each piloted the model for several demonstration laps around the raceway. Capable of 115 mph and covering a quarter-mile in 18.2 seconds, it enjoyed an immediate, enthusiastic reception from the racing fraternity.

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