Ever since Chevrolet brought back the Camaro, and Dodge resurrected the Challenger, Ford Mustang sales have been on a slow but undeniable decline. Month after month and year after year, the Mustang has slotted in second to the Camaro. But since the beginning of 2012, Mustang sales have been on the rise.

Now with May comes the arrival of the first refreshed 2013 Mustangs, and sales have skyrocketed as a result. The Mustang News reports that sales of the Mustang exceeded 10,000 units, an almost 60% improvement over May of 2011.

Totals sales of the Ford Mustang in May were 10,427 units, almost 4,000 more cars than May 2011. This was more than enough to handily beat the Camaro, which sold a still-respectable 9,023 units. No doubt sales were helped by the 2013 model refresh, which adds more power, more technology, and the 662 horsepower Shelby GT500 to the lineup. It’s the first time Mustang sales have surpassed 10,000 since May of 2010, when the Mustang received another refresh.

Will Ford be able to sustain these sales all the way through to the next new Mustang, due in 2015? It’s hard to say. The Camaro is overdue for a refresh as well, while Challenger sales have seen something of a resurgence with Chrysler’s restructuring and engine improvements. The next generation of American muscle cars are likely to be much different from the current crop, and Ford seems determined to go out on top.