Starting in 1964 and ongoing all the way up to the present day, the Ford Mustang is a quintessential part of the current American car market. Its elegant approach to affordable compact cars have made it a popular choice ever since its start as a convertible, all the way through its subsequent six generations.

The Mustang was the first of the so called “Pony Car” category of American muscle cars. These were affordable coupes with long hoods and short rears. The stylish approach to low-priced sports cars revolutionized the auto market, giving way to attainable elegance for those who wouldn’t usually be able to purchase a high-end vehicle.

Upon its release, it was the company’s most successful product launch since their Model A in 1927. Since the line’s inception in 1964, over ten million Ford Mustangs have been manufactured in the United States, each and every unit sporting the classic two door design and the characteristic long hood and short rear.

The most evident example of a classic, the Ford Mustang remains popular for a reason. Every iteration built on the model’s great existing basis and worked to further refine it. To this day, the Mustang has retained its original charm, but nothing quite compares to the nostalgic sense of the early years.