Sales took off and a star was born. Many Mustang buyers graduated onto other Ford models so it had that additional benefit as well.
Unfortunately, subsequent models got bigger and heavier - as car executives cannot resist doing - and the Mustang production slipped slowly but inexorably down. New models gave the Mustang a pep but each time a little less so. Still, it was worth the continuation.
Its main competitor was the Chevrolet Camaro, which did well but couldn't quite match the Mustang for sales. Both have sold well, so the muscle car is a popular model even if not as much today as times past. To see the Chev Camaro production history, just click here.
Below the colours are for each series, six so far. The decade figure defines the end of such in a '0' year. Each period has seen a reduction in production volume. Exports have included right hand drive recently and I see them around the roads in New Zealand, where the Mustang is proving popular.
Generation Seven:
The 7th generation arrived in 2023 but I have put the 6th generation for that year. What stands out is the lower volume for the 7th generation. Why?
Higher prices plus the fact that it has a similar chassis and appearance to the previous generation are cited as the main reasons. Many are opting to buy late model 6th generation cars instead.
The fact that production is at an all time low and yet Ford persists with the Mustang is a good sign. It's a car few now buy but it offers something unique. Ford is now unchallenged in the standard V8 muscle car market.
Clearly it's a market segment in decline and if that continues, one would have to wonder of an 8th generation will see the light of day. Apparently, Ford will be doing it, around 2029.
Last updated 08.06.2026.
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