As Mustang GT Celebrates 58th Birthday, It Is Named World's Best-Selling Sports Coupe

Even as the Mustang celebrates its 58th birthday, one of the world's iconic performance vehicles has been named the world's best-selling sports coupe. This information comes from a Ford analysis of registration data provided by Standard & Poor Global Mobility.

Mustang Debuted In 1965

In fact, the Mustang, which debuted in 1965, was named the world's best-selling sports coupe for the seventh year in a row.

Led by the 5.0-liter V-8-powered Mustang Mach 1, the make retains its sales crown for 2021. Indeed, the Mach 1 has been joined by the Mustang Shelby GT500, the most powerful street-legal Ford and the most advanced Mustang ever in retaining its sales crown. Despite this great news the owners of Ford Mustangs and the automaker are squaring off over the Voodoo engine in the GT series.

"When enthusiasts around the world get into a Mustang, they unlock that feeling of freedom and experience the open road," said Kumar Galhotra, president Ford Blue. "That feeling, along with iconic design, awesome powertrains, and a passionate global community, all contribute to making Mustang a sales leader for the seventh year in a row."

U.S. Maintains Most Substantial Mustang Demand

According to Ford's internal data, the United States remains home to the most substantial demand for Mustang, representing 76 percent of global sales. Other markets that saw growth in Mustang sales in 2021 include New Zealand, up 54.3 percent, Brazil, up 37.3 percent, and South Korea, up 16.6 percent. For those who wanted a Mustang of their own, customers retail orders nearly doubled in 2021 compared to the year prior.

Ford looks to continue this momentum with five new special editions in the lineup, including:

• Mustang Ice White (also available on Mustang Mach-E)
• Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition
• Mustang GT California Special
• Mustang GT Coastal Limited
• Mistamg GT Stealth

From Mustang EcoBoost to Shelby GT500, there is a special edition at every performance level for muscle car enthusiasts.
Eight New Colors Available For 2022

Mustang gains eight new color options for 2022 as well, including Ford Performance-exclusive Code Orange on Shelby GT500, while Brittany Blue Metallic returns specifically for Shelby GT500 Heritage and Coastal Limited models. Additional new colors are available across the lineup – including Atlas Blue Metallic, Cyber Orange Metallic Tri-Coat, Dark Matter Gray Metallic, Eruption Green Metallic, Grabber Blue Metallic, and Mischievous Purple Metallic.

Mustang Mach-E, the newest member of the Mustang brand family, also had a successful 2021 as one of the hottest products at Ford.

In addition to a solid first full year of sales, the Mustang Mach-E earned a trophy-case worth of press awards, including the coveted North American Utility Vehicle of the Year honor, Car and Driver's 2021 EV of the Year, 2021 Wards 10 Best award, and a 2022 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award. Mustang Mach-E was also recently named a finalist for the 2022 World Car of the Year.

S&P Global Mobility Background

Mustang's sales basis was based on S&P Global Mobility new light-vehicle registrations from the calendar year 2014 to the calendar year 2021. The figures are compiled from the government and other sources. The figures capture 95 percent of global new vehicle volumes in more than 80 countries, as reported in February 2022. The S&P Global Mobility figures define a sports coupe as a two-door and convertible models.

Photo courtesy Ford Motor Co.

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971 when an otherwise normal news editor said, "You're our new car editor," and dumped about 27 pounds of auto stuff on my desk. I was in heaven as I have been a gearhead from my early days. As a teen, I spent the usual number of misspent hours hanging out at gas stations Shell and Texaco (a big thing in my youth) and working on cars. From there on, it was a straight line to my first column for the paper, "You Auto Know," an enterprise that I handled faithfully for 32 years. Not many people know that I also handled computer documentation for a good part of my living while writing YAN. My best writing, though, was always in cars. My work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, etc. You can follow me on: Twitter or Facebook.