The famed sports car is still Made in America.
Henry Ford revolutionized American automobile manufacturing when he invented the assembly line production process in 1913.
There certainly were a number of legendary vehicles made in those early years, perhaps most notably the Model T. But it wasn’t until 51 years later that Ford Motor Co. revealed its first sports car in grand fashion at the 1964 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
For Ford, persistence certainly paid off.
The 10 millionth Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line at the revolutionary automaker’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant on Wednesday. It continues to be the best-selling muscle car of all time.
Like its iconic rival — the Chevrolet Corvette — the Ford Mustang has always been manufactured in America. During its 54-year lifespan, the Mustang has been built in San Jose, Calif., Metuchen, N.J. and at the original production home of Ford in Dearborn, Mich. Production was consolidated at Flat Rock Assembly Plant in 2004, located about 25 miles southwest of Detroit.
"Mustang is the heart and soul of this company and a favorite around the world," said Jim Farley, the company's president of global markets. "I get the same thrill seeing a Mustang roll down a street in Detroit, London, or Beijing that I felt when I bought my first car — a 1966 Mustang coupe that I drove across the country as a teenager. Mustang is a smile-maker in any language."
Ford took time on Wednesday to celebrate the Mustang, including with a parade from Ford’s Dearborn headquarters to the Flat Rock Assembly plant that featured a Mustang from every model year.
Pony car No. 10 million is painted Wimbledon White, just like the sports car Ford recognizes as the first production vehicle stamped with serial number ending in 001. It is a 2019 GT convertible, with a 460-horsepower V8 and a six-speed manual transmission.
The Mustang has come a long way in 54 years, when the original V8 engine possessed just 164 horsepower and a transmission with half the forward speeds.
“Many vehicles have hit the 10-million mark over the years, but they tend to be either practical family cars – like the Volkswagen Passat and Honda Accord – or long-running utilitarian haulers like the Ford F-150,” Matt Anderson, curator of transportation at the Henry Ford Museum told the Detroit Free Press. “Mustang is a fun car, something owners tend to purchase as a second – or maybe third – vehicle rather than a one-and-only daily drive. That makes Mustang’s 10 million milestone all the more impressive.”