Automotive history was made yesterday when Ford built its 10-millionth Mustang.
The pioneering sporty car went on sale two months after The Beatles arrived in America and became a symbol of '60s pop culture. Seen in countless movies, the Mustang's most famous appearance was in the 1968 Steve McQueenaction film Bullitt, where it was involved in a legendary chase scene with a Dodge Charger.
An instant hit, more than 22,000 Mustangs were sold the first day it was offered at dealerships. Projected to sell 100,000 models the first year, the Mustang reached that level in three months -- with 418,000 of the sporty cars sold in the first year.
Detroit's Free Press says that more than 60 Mustang owners, spanning all six decades of its existence, will be on hand today at the Flat Rock, Michigan plant where they're built.
Earlier this year, when Ford announced it was dropping most of its conventional sedans and compacts to concentrate on SUVs and trucks, the Mustang was spared. Calling it "kind of the soul of the company," Ford executives noted how "the Mustang has such a strong following and is so deeply intertwined with Ford's identity." (CNBC)
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