S550 Mustang has been the world’s most popular sporty two-door since it was introduced for 2015.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019 marks the 55th anniversary of the world debut of the Ford Mustang so it is fitting that on “National Mustang Day”, the Motor Company announced that the legendary pony car is the best-selling sports coupe in the world for the fourth consecutive year. Of course, we knew that the Ford Mustang was the best-selling sporty two-door in America, beating out the Dodge Challenger by a comfortable margin, but with today’s announcement, we know that the Mustang has staying power in overseas markets.
“We broke the mold when Ford launched the Mustang 55 years ago,” said Jim Farley, Ford president, global markets. “Nothing says freedom, the wind in your hair and the joy of driving like Mustang; it’s an icon. The roar of its V8 on a spring day, there’s nothing better. No wonder it’s the most popular sports coupe in the world.”
S550 Domination
The Ford Mustang has routinely been one of the top two best-selling sports two-door cars in America for decades, but the original pony car didn’t have a huge presence in markets outside of North America. That changed with the introduction of the S550 car for the 2015 model year, with Ford holding a global debut event with display sites around the globe to celebrate the global aim of the 2015 Mustang.
To help the Mustang compete better in overseas markets, the Motor Company began producing the car with a right-hand-drive configuration, making it more appealing in markets where they drive on the left side of the road. That led to a backlog of orders that lasted for more than a year in some markets such as Australia, but the automaker also made moves to offer the Mustang in more markets.
In 2018, the Mustang was available in 146 countries, leading to a global sales total of 113,066 cars, with 75,842 of those being sold in the United States while the other 37,224 being sold in foreign markets. When combined with the sales totals from 2015, 2016 and 2017, the S550 Mustang has accounted for more than a half-million units sold around the world, per IHS Market.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
