Five 'secrets' regarding the Ford Mustang...
- Thread starter Empty Pockets
- Start date
2112
Blue/white 06'
It was named after a WWII fighter plane, not a wild horse: It is generally believed that the Mustang acquired its name from the wild unbroken North American horse known as a Mustang. In truth, the car was named for the famous air war-winning North American P-51 Mustang, the WWII mount of famed test pilot and ace Chuck Yeager.
And what was the plane named after? A delicate flower found in mountain meadows? :rolleyes
And what was the plane named after? A delicate flower found in mountain meadows? :rolleyes
Yeah, the validity of that one bothered me too, since the T.V. ads all featured HORSES galloping 'round the car! I don't recall seeing even ONE plane in those ads anywhere ' - "Mustang" or otherwise! If the car was named after the PLANE, why have the horses in the ads?
HellOOOOOOOOOO?!
HellOOOOOOOOOO?!
Cobrar
GT Owner
A sixth "secret" of the mustang
Father of the Mustang. Hope he is 'overseeing' development of the 2015.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/us/29frey.html?_r=1
Father of the Mustang. Hope he is 'overseeing' development of the 2015.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/us/29frey.html?_r=1
2112
Blue/white 06'
GT38
GT Owner
The British were first to buy North American's NA-73 (the company's model designation), which they officially named the Mustang MkI. The US Army Air Corps designated their aircraft the P-51. Originally powered by an Allison engine, it became a great aircraft only after the Rolls-Royce Merlin replaced the Allison. Not widely known is that Ford was to build Merlins under license, but at the time Henry Ford didn't want to build military equipment for the British. Enter Packard Motor Car Company, and the result were thousands of Packard Merlin powered P-51 Mustangs - and immortality.
http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/time/time.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard_V-1650
I've heard that in 1953 Ford re-named their F-1 pickup after the North American F-100 Super Sabre (then in flight test), but I haven't been able to verify that. But also in 1953, Oldsmobile named their Starfire dream car (and subsequent production cars beginning in 1954) after the Lockheed F-94 Starfire interceptor, so it's plausible that the F-100 name was at least influenced by the jet fighter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldsmobile_Starfire
http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/time/time.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard_V-1650
I've heard that in 1953 Ford re-named their F-1 pickup after the North American F-100 Super Sabre (then in flight test), but I haven't been able to verify that. But also in 1953, Oldsmobile named their Starfire dream car (and subsequent production cars beginning in 1954) after the Lockheed F-94 Starfire interceptor, so it's plausible that the F-100 name was at least influenced by the jet fighter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldsmobile_Starfire
Most of the top level Ford Executives at the time that car was developed were either WW2 veterans or were involved in manufacturing materials for the war effort. They named the car but they did not develop the advertising campaign to launch it. That was handled by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency and the finished ads were given the thumbs up by FMC management.
Chip
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