Ford has chosen the Mustang, their most iconic car, to illustrate the evolution of colors in vehicles over the past 50 years. The goal was to show how colors follow fashion trends, behaviors and tastes of the customers from time to time.
A historic study done by Ford shows that in the past 5 decades the color of cars varied from shades of brown and soft yellows to more audacious tones that helped to differentiate one of the world’s most popular sports car.
Color Palette
The Mustang’s color palette shows the preference of each decade. Today, black is the chosen color for those who own a Mustang representing 28% of the orders, a 10% increase from the last decade. In comparison, that number was 1.5% in the years between 1967 and 1973.
Naturally, red has always been a popular color for sport cars and represents 21% of all Mustangs sold to date. In 1967, less than 10% of the line was in red. In the last decade it grew to 22%.
Blue dominated the first years of the Mustang, reaching 30% of all Mustangs in 1968 when it was offered in 6 different tones. In the past years the blue is back in different shades that helped this color to reach 23% of the sales. Silver is another color that has been preferred by customers.
About the Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the platform of the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced on April 17, 1964, and thus dubbed as a “1964½” model by Mustang fans, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker’s most successful launch since the Model A. The Mustang has undergone several transformations to its current fifth generation.
The Mustang created the “pony car” class of American automobiles—sports car-like coupes with long hoods and short rear decks—and gave rise to competitors such as the Chevrolet Camaro, and Pontiac Firebird, AMC Javelin, as well as Chrysler’s revamped Plymouth Barracuda and the first generation Dodge Challenger. The Mustang is also credited for inspiring the designs of coupés such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri, which were imported to the United States.
About Ford Motor Company
The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand and luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. In the past it has also produced heavy trucks, tractors and automotive components. Ford owns small stakes in Mazda of Japan and Aston Martin of the United Kingdom. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is controlled by the Ford family, although they have minority ownership.
