A breed apart: this infographic celebrates 50 years of Mustang

Spend more than 30 seconds thinking about iconic cars and the word “Mustang” is likely to pop into your head. For 50 years now, Ford’s massively high selling muscle car has been turning heads on the road.

In that time, it’s made masses of film, TV and music video appearances. It’s most famous outing being in the James Bond film Goldfinger, although children of the 80s will make an argument for Kitt, the ‘stang who was Michael Knight’s companion in the series Knight Rider.

“This connection to pop culture has helped to establish the car’s huge fan base, not only in North America but also in several emerging markets. Mustang is not just a car, it’s an experience and a symbol of confidence. The fact that the new 2015 Mustang is inspired by its 50 years of heritage will certainly appeal to a broad range of customers,” says Stefan Haubold, Global MD of car sales site Carmudi.

Given that it’s such an auspicious anniversary, it’s hardly surprising that the events celebrating the Mustang promise to be some of the biggest the car world will see this year.

In the US, Ford’s already stuck a new-edition Mustang on top of the Empire State Building and announced an anniversary edition. The Dearborn-based car maker and the Mustang Club of America are also teaming up to host two big events in the United States in Las Vegas and California.

Further afield, there have already been celebrations in the likes of South Africa, with a 200-strong parade planned for Dubai.

The original Ford Mustang debuted on 17 April 1964 at US$2 368. And in Texas, 15 customers thronged to bid on the same Mustang. Such was the frenzy that the winning bidder resorted to sleeping overnight in his new car. Why? Just so that it wouldn’t be sold out from under him before his check could clear.

For a glimpse at why the car’s been so iconic, take a look at this infographic from Carmudi.