The Ford Mustang is an American 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.^[1] Introduced early on April 17, 1964,^[2] and thus dubbed as a "1964½" model by Mustang fans, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A.^[3] The Mustang has undergone several transformations to its current sixth generation.

The Mustang created the "pony car" class of American automobiles—sports-car like coupes with long hoods and short rear decks^[4]—and gave rise to competitors such as the Chevrolet Camaro,^[5] and Pontiac Firebird, AMC Javelin,^[6] as well as Chrysler's revamped Plymouth Barracuda and the first generation Dodge Challenger.^[7] 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.