As the 50th anniversary of our favorite Pony Car quickly approaches we’re seeing all manner of enthusiasts take notice. There are few cars that can state they’ve been in production for as long as the Mustang, and no other nameplate is so well recognized throughout the world.
One celebrity who’s taking notice is of course Jay Leno, car lover and aficionado, Leno is on our short list of car guy celebrities we could hang out with and talk cars all day long. Recently Leno had the chance to take a look at a few historic Mustangs as well as chat with the man who was responsible for the original Mustang coming to market, Mr Lee Iacocca.
Leno talks about how the original goal of the Mustang was to sell 417,000 units by it’s one year anniversary 4/17/65. The car of course was a run away success selling over one-million units by 1966. There are also several other Mustang facts thrown out throughout the video. For example, while the Mustang offered a relatively low sticker price, the profits were made in the options. Each car averaged $1,000 in options and accessories when it left the dealer.
Leno also gets a chance to take a look at production Mustang 001, and the Mustang 1 concept vehicle. A few more interesting facts about the Mustang 1 included that in-spite of it’s relatively low powered V4 engine, Dan Gurney nearly matched the Formula One lap record at Watkins Glenn when he test drove the car for Ford.
We also get to see Leno’s first look in person at the 2015 Mustang with Ford’s Dave Perciak, who was in charge of the 2015 model. Perciak goes over many details we already knew about, as well as hinting that there is more to come as the 50th anniversary approaches. We can’t wait to see what that is.