Synopses & Reviews
In the early 1960s, Lee Iacocca—then director of the Ford division at Ford Motor Company—convinced Henry Ford II to produce a sporty four-seat car aimed at the emerging youth market. That car, essentially a reconfigured and re-skinned Falcon economy car, became the Ford Mustang, and it changed the automotive world like no other car before or since. In Mustang: Fifty Years, acclaimed Mustang writer Donald Farr celebrates this unbroken lineage of muscle: its phenomenal first-year sales, the new “pony car” genre it pioneered, and subsequent models that include the Mustang GT, Shelby GT350, Shelby GT500, Super Cobra Jet, Boss 302 and Boss 429—all part of a line of American performance cars that continues on to this day. With 400 photos of the USA’s iconic sports car and released in tandem with the Mustang’s 50th anniversary, Mustang: Fifty Years is a must on the bookshelf of any gearhead or Ford aficionado.
Review
"This is not a book you will read in one or two sittings and put on the shelf. You will pick it up again and again, and each time you will see things you've previously missed. The Mustang has had an interesting history and thanks to Donald Farr, this is its textbook." - Shelby Americana
Review
"Donald Farr, a longtime writer and editor at Mustang-centric publications, provides a comprehensive recounting of the car's gestation as a design study in the early 1960s, its splashy debut at the 1964 New York World's Fair and its tumultuous life up through the fifth-generation model that is entering its final model year. The book concludes with sections on Mustangs for racing, in pop culture and for hobbyists and collectors.While not exactly a beach read, the book is more digestible, even for general audiences, than its dauntingly encyclopedic appearance might suggest. The captions for the many interesting photos are even more compelling." - The New York Times
Review
"Donald Farr's relationship with the Mustang goes back nearly as long as my association with the iconic pony car. Mustang Fifty Years is representative of the rich history the Mustang has endured and Donald has so expertly written a book that is as beautifully put together as the car itself." - Lee Iacocca
Review
"This colorful coffee table book does an admirable job of chronicling the Mustang's history from its conception to the present. More than just a history, the book explores all aspects of Mustang life, from shows to celebrity owners. The pictures draw you in, but the nicely curated facts pull you through. Edsel Ford II penned the thoughtful forward." - AutomobileMag.com
Review
"This book, by Donald Farr of Mustang Monthly magazine, features almost everything Mustang. From the Shelby GT500, the Super Cobra Jet 428, the Boss 302, and the Boss 429, this book spans nearly 50 years of Mustang." - About.com
Review
"The story behind the story is among the many interesting factoids found in "Mustang Fifty Years". There's no need to re-hash all 50 years of that history, right up to the 2014 Ford Mustang, in this review. Let's just say that Farr does an excellent job of it." - AutoByTel.com
Review
"Rare photos, along with many reproducitons of period marketing materials, and thorough but easily read discussions of the Mustang's evolution come together to create a truly comprehensive resource, belonging as much in the reference library of the serious Mustang enthusiast as it does on the coffee table of the everyday driver." - Hemmings
Review
"It's a tall order to cover 50 years of the Mustang, but the author has done a commendable job in taking the reader through the car's exciting development and history. Every generation is explored, including the details of how the Mustang's heritage as a rear-wheel-drive V8 sporty car was saved. As it should, racing gets a healthy chapter while concepts and prototypes show the reader what Ford was thinking along the way. Of course, Mustangs played a big role in popular culture, from movies to music, and that's here too. Bottom line, if you love Mustangs, then better add this entertaining and informative read to your bookshelf." - Vintage Motorsport
Synopsis
The Ford Mustang changed the automotive world like no other car before or since. Mustang: Fifty Years, the first officially licensed book celebrating the Mustang’s fiftieth anniversary, tells the story of this unbroken lineage of muscle.
Synopsis
When Lee Iacocca convinced Henry Ford II to produce a sporty four-seat car aimed at the emerging youth market, a car that eventually became the Ford Mustang, he changed the automotive world. More than a sales phenomenon, the Mustang created its own genre, an entirely new category that became known as the pony car. But Ford was just getting started. The original pony car evolved into the ultimate muscle car, first in versions like the high-performance Mustang GT and the Shelby GT350, then in full-blown supercars like the Shelby GT500, the Super Cobra Jet 428, the Boss 302, and the Boss 429.
Mustang performance continues uninterrupted to this day, stronger than ever. With meticulously researched text from noted Mustang historian Donald Farr and never-before-seen photography, Mustang: Fifty Years celebrates this unbroken lineage of muscle.
About the Author
As editor of Mustang Monthly magazine, Donald Farr has been researching and writing about Mustangs for over 30 years. In addition to his magazine work, Donald authored Mustang Boss 302: Ford's Trans-Am Ponycar and co-wrote How to Restore Your Mustang and the Mustang Recognition Guide with Mustang Monthly founder Larry Dobbs. Donald was inducted into the Mustang Hall of Fame in 2012.Edsel B. Ford II is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company. His grandfather was Edsel B. Ford, company president from 1919 to 1943, and his late father, Henry Ford II, was president of the company from 1945 to 1960. Edsel B. Ford II was named president and chief operating officer of Ford Motor Credit Company in May 1991 and elected a company vice president in December 1993. A graduate of Babson College and Harvard Business School, he is currently a member of the Ford Motor Company board of directors.