Which Year Produced the Most Popular Mustangs?

People all over the world love the iconic appearance and roaring engine of the Ford Mustang. The line of vehicles debuted in 1964 to appeal to a younger and hipper clientele but soon became a favorite of gearheads of all ages. If you're someone who also loves these classic cars, read on to learn which year produced the most popular Mustangs.

1964 1/2 Ford Mustang

Starting with the eponymous debut of the Mustang at the 1964 World's Fair, the original line of pony cars (which are listed as 1965 models) was a runaway success. Ford had initially planned to sell 100,000 vehicles the first year, but demand quickly outgrew their wildest expectations. By the end of 1964, they had sold well over 100,000 cars. After a year, the 1965 Mustang had sold over 300,000 vehicles with more than a million in production.

1965 Shelby GT350

After the successful debut of the Mustang, executives at Ford were already looking to see what they could do to improve their pony cars' performance. They tapped Carrol Shelby, who had already found wild success with the Shelby Cobra, to design the Shelby GT350 line of Mustangs. The GT350 could go 0 to 60mph in 6.5 seconds, topping out at 126 mph, turning the fastback coupe Mustang into a road-friendly version of a NASCAR racer.

1984 SVO Mustang

The 1984 Ford Mustang SVO, which stands for Special Vehicles Operations, was the first in a series of fuel-efficient vehicles designed to look good and give a superior performance when the EPA began mandating new fuel emission standards. The center of the SVO is a turbocharged 2.3-liter Lima four-cylinder engine that allowed it to keep up with its souped-up GT brethren. While only around 4,500 were produced originally, the 1984 SVO is still one of the most popular models for Mustang enthusiasts who swear by its incredible drivability.

2000 Mustang SVT Cobra R

The SVT Cobra R was the fastest Mustang ever off the factory line when it debuted, capable of going from 0 to 60 in just 4.4 seconds. The name of the game was speed, and the vehicle could make insane turns and stop on a dime at the racetrack. While not explicitly built for road performance, they were still a must-have for many Mustang enthusiasts that could get their hands on one of the 300 or so produced initially.

When looking at which year produced the most popular Mustangs, it can be somewhat up to your interpretation of popular. While some of these vehicles weren't the most widely sold, they were all benchmarks for what a Mustang could be and heavily influenced future models.

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