Every lifetime is full of firsts, and some, like one’s first kiss, obviously hold fonder memories for some people than others. Yet almost universally, everybody has fond memories of their first car, regardless of whether it was a rolling liability or a restored classic. When it comes to talking about first cars though, Mustang fans can lay claim to being the most vocal about it online.
That’s according to a study conducted by AutoNation, which found that people who had a Mustang as their first car were the most likely to talk about it on the picture sharing app Instagram.
While this is methodology is undoubtedly skewed towards a younger audience, it’s a wide-ranging study too, taking into account over 173,000 Instagram posts using the hashtag#MyFirstCar. That’s a lot of hashtags, and approximately 17% of them mentioned the Mustang as their first car, or about 29,400 posts, with the next most popular ride being a Honda Civic at less than 15%. The Honda Accord claims the third-most mentions, followed by the Volkswagen Jetta and Bettle respectively. Way down at number six is where you’ll find the Mustang’s main rival, the Chevy Camaro, garnering just 5% of the total mentions.
What’s really eye-opening here though is the dearth of American vehicles among young buyers. While the Mustang holds the number one spot, the list is largely dominated by Japanese and German Imports. Of the 20 vehicles list, just 5 are domestics (2 Ford, 2 Chevy, 1 Jeep), and even by the most generous estimations, they make up less than one-third of the total mentions, of which the Mustang makes up more than half. So on one hand, people love to talk about their Mustangs…but on the other hand, fewer young people are being exposed to American cars. But the ones that are, apparently love them. Unsurprisingly, America’s Heartland prefers domestic automobiles, with both coasts opting towards imports instead
It’s a mixed bag of news for Mustang fans at the very least.