Fifty years ago today (April 17) Ford introduced the Mustang to the world and an automotive legend was born. To mark the occasion Ford Ireland invited journalists and industry professionals to an exclusive screening of one the Mustang's seminal moments on the silver screen; chasing a Dodge Charger RT through the streets of San Francisco in 'Bullitt.' Ford executives even managed to secure a classic 'Stang to stand guard outside the cinema and provide a photo opportunity for interested passers-by.
Of course, their American cousins had to go one better. Or actually, 86 better, by recreating the 1964 New York World Fair reveal atop the Empire State Building. To complete the stunt Ford chopped a brand new Mustang into pieces small enough to fit into a 36-inch elevator for transport to the observation deck of the Empire State skyscraper.
The dimensions of the elevator were mimicked exactly by a mock-up at the Dearborn plant to ensure there would be no issues when the car reached New York. Once there the team had six hours to reassemble the car, during the night when the observation deck is closed to the public. The feat will have to be repeated in reverse on Friday when the whole thing is packed up and brought home - again in the middle of the night.
Anything else?
To go along with the anniversary Ford will produce the Mustang Anniversary Edition. Limited to just 1,964 cars worldeide the limited edition is based on the V8-powered Mustang GT fastback coupé and available in either Wimbledon White or Kona Blue. The former colour is a special colour for the Mustang as it was originally applied to a pre-production convertible, wearing chassis number 001, which was mistakenly sold to an airline pilot.
The new Mustang goes on sale later this year and, for the first time, will be officially available in Ireland.