Ford Mustang Voted As ‘World Changing Vehicle’ in Indiana Exhibit
Studebaker National Museum’s ‘Ten Cars That Changed the World’ exhibit features the Ford Mustang, and runs through Jan. 6, 2019.
A classic red 1966 Ford Mustang is on display as part of a special exhibition at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana. Titled “Ten Cars That Changed the World,” the exhibit highlights models that fundamentally changed the ways people thought about and used cars over the last 120-plus years.
Ford’s Mustang definitely falls into that category. It’s in good company, too: it’s joined by a 1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile, one of the first automotive icons. Ford’s mass-produced Model T brought motoring to the masses the same way Volkswagen’s Beetle and the British Mini would several decades later. The Willys Jeep is also a worthy addition not only for its part in World War II, but for revolutionizing off-road utility vehicles, still very popular today.
It’s impressive to think about how much of a sensation the Ford Mustang caused when it was revealed to the world on April 17th, 1964. It spawned many imitators, but there will only ever be one original.
There are some interesting surprises, too: the original Dodge minivan from the 1980s shares floor space with the Mustang and a 1912 Cadillac Model 30, the first to feature electric lights and an electric starter. Like the others, it’s an icon that fundamentally changed the automotive landscape.
Interestingly, the exhibit features no Studebakers, but the rest of the museum does an excellent job of capturing the brand’s interesting and varied history. The special “Ten Cars That Changed the World” exhibition runs now through January 6, 2019.
When you think about it, taking the thousands of car models released in the history of the automobile and narrowing them down to just ten is no easy task. Call us biased, but we’re glad the Mustang made the cut.