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Pony car
Pony car is an American car classification for affordable, compact, highly styled coupés or convertibles with a "sporty" or performance-oriented image. Common characteristics include rear-wheel drive, a long hood, a short deck, bucket seats, room for four, a wide range of options to individualize each car and use of mass-produced parts shared with other models. The popularity of pony cars is largely due to the launch of the Ford Mustang in 1964, which created the niche and term.
There is much debate among enthusiasts about the exact definition of a pony car, and what differentiates the vehicle from a muscle car. The general consensus is that pony cars are smaller and more homogeneous in their form than muscle cars. A few intermediate-size vehicles, such as the Dodge Challenger, may be considered to belong to both categories.
In the early 1960s, Ford, Plymouth, and AMC began noticing the rising interest in small, sporty cars, and the increasing importance of younger buyers. In order to convince the management of Ford to approve a small, sporty car for production, the Budd Company built a prototype two-seat roadster called the XT-Bird. The XT-Bird was built using the compact car chassis of the Ford Falcon with a modified 1957 Ford Thunderbird body. Ford rejected the proposal, preferring to design a four-seat sporty car instead which would expand its sales volume.
The Budd Company then approached American Motors Corporation (AMC) with the Budd XR-400 prototype, which was based on a 1962 AMC Ambassador two-door with a shortened chassis and the body moved 16 in (406 mm) rearward to allow for a longer hood (bonnet). The automaker's "management expressed interest in a new car with a sports flair" and work on the AMC Rambler Tarpon, a 2+2 coupe with an elongated fastback roof, began in early 1963.
Examples of production cars that included sporty and youthful appeal include the 1960 Chevrolet Corvair. Initially positioned as an economy car, the Corvair's plusher-trimmed and sportier Monza model sold around 144,000 units by 1961. The Corvair Monza's bucket seats and floor-mounted transmission shifter started a trend toward these features being offered in cars ranging from compacts to full-size cars. Competing models inspired by the Corvair Monza included the Ford Falcon Futura and Futura Sprint models and the Rambler American 440-H and Rogue models. Most sporty compacts were powered by the same economical six-cylinder engines as their more mundane platform counterparts, but in some cases, optional V8 engines were available along with four-speed manual transmissions.
The first entry into what would become known as the “pony car” marketplace was the Plymouth Barracuda, which went on sale on April 1, 1964 (two weeks before the Ford Mustang). The Barracuda was released as a fastback coupe, based on the platform of the Plymouth Valiant compact car. Chrysler's precarious financial situation meant that there was a limited development budget for the Barracuda, which led to a compromised design. The Barracuda was criticized for having insufficient distinction from the Valiant and the styling drew mixed reactions. As a result, Barracuda sales were a fraction of the Mustang's.
At the Ford Motor Company, executive Lee Iacocca had commissioned studies that suggested a market for a unique-looking, affordable sporty car. This led to the development of a sporty 2+2 car based on the Ford Falcon platform, launched on April 17, 1964, as the 1965 Ford Mustang. Sporting a long hood and short deck, it was offered as a two-door coupé and convertible. In its base specification, the drivetrain was typical of an economy car: a 170 cu in (2.8 L) six-cylinder engine with a three-speed manual transmission. The US$2,368 base price included bucket seats, carpeting, floor shifter, sport steering wheel, and full-wheel covers. However, desirable options such as V8 engines, a four-speed manual gearbox, air conditioning, and power steering could increase the price by up to 60%, which made such versions very profitable for Ford.
The Mustang was an enormous success, with first-year sales forecasts of 100,000 units being shattered on the first day, when Ford dealers took orders for 22,000 vehicles, forcing the company to immediately increase production. The extended model year sales totaled 618,812 Mustangs. The Mustang broke all post-World War II automobile sales records, "creating the 'pony car' craze soon adopted by competitors."
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Pony car
Pony car is an American car classification for affordable, compact, highly styled coupés or convertibles with a "sporty" or performance-oriented image. Common characteristics include rear-wheel drive, a long hood, a short deck, bucket seats, room for four, a wide range of options to individualize each car and use of mass-produced parts shared with other models. The popularity of pony cars is largely due to the launch of the Ford Mustang in 1964, which created the niche and term.
There is much debate among enthusiasts about the exact definition of a pony car, and what differentiates the vehicle from a muscle car. The general consensus is that pony cars are smaller and more homogeneous in their form than muscle cars. A few intermediate-size vehicles, such as the Dodge Challenger, may be considered to belong to both categories.
In the early 1960s, Ford, Plymouth, and AMC began noticing the rising interest in small, sporty cars, and the increasing importance of younger buyers. In order to convince the management of Ford to approve a small, sporty car for production, the Budd Company built a prototype two-seat roadster called the XT-Bird. The XT-Bird was built using the compact car chassis of the Ford Falcon with a modified 1957 Ford Thunderbird body. Ford rejected the proposal, preferring to design a four-seat sporty car instead which would expand its sales volume.
The Budd Company then approached American Motors Corporation (AMC) with the Budd XR-400 prototype, which was based on a 1962 AMC Ambassador two-door with a shortened chassis and the body moved 16 in (406 mm) rearward to allow for a longer hood (bonnet). The automaker's "management expressed interest in a new car with a sports flair" and work on the AMC Rambler Tarpon, a 2+2 coupe with an elongated fastback roof, began in early 1963.
Examples of production cars that included sporty and youthful appeal include the 1960 Chevrolet Corvair. Initially positioned as an economy car, the Corvair's plusher-trimmed and sportier Monza model sold around 144,000 units by 1961. The Corvair Monza's bucket seats and floor-mounted transmission shifter started a trend toward these features being offered in cars ranging from compacts to full-size cars. Competing models inspired by the Corvair Monza included the Ford Falcon Futura and Futura Sprint models and the Rambler American 440-H and Rogue models. Most sporty compacts were powered by the same economical six-cylinder engines as their more mundane platform counterparts, but in some cases, optional V8 engines were available along with four-speed manual transmissions.
The first entry into what would become known as the “pony car” marketplace was the Plymouth Barracuda, which went on sale on April 1, 1964 (two weeks before the Ford Mustang). The Barracuda was released as a fastback coupe, based on the platform of the Plymouth Valiant compact car. Chrysler's precarious financial situation meant that there was a limited development budget for the Barracuda, which led to a compromised design. The Barracuda was criticized for having insufficient distinction from the Valiant and the styling drew mixed reactions. As a result, Barracuda sales were a fraction of the Mustang's.
At the Ford Motor Company, executive Lee Iacocca had commissioned studies that suggested a market for a unique-looking, affordable sporty car. This led to the development of a sporty 2+2 car based on the Ford Falcon platform, launched on April 17, 1964, as the 1965 Ford Mustang. Sporting a long hood and short deck, it was offered as a two-door coupé and convertible. In its base specification, the drivetrain was typical of an economy car: a 170 cu in (2.8 L) six-cylinder engine with a three-speed manual transmission. The US$2,368 base price included bucket seats, carpeting, floor shifter, sport steering wheel, and full-wheel covers. However, desirable options such as V8 engines, a four-speed manual gearbox, air conditioning, and power steering could increase the price by up to 60%, which made such versions very profitable for Ford.
The Mustang was an enormous success, with first-year sales forecasts of 100,000 units being shattered on the first day, when Ford dealers took orders for 22,000 vehicles, forcing the company to immediately increase production. The extended model year sales totaled 618,812 Mustangs. The Mustang broke all post-World War II automobile sales records, "creating the 'pony car' craze soon adopted by competitors."
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