Nine million Mustangs and counting

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When the Ford Mustang was introduced on April 17, 1964 (at the New York World’s Fair), it was an immediate hit. It started life being highly desirable, became a little suspect over the years, then -- with this incarnation -- made an impressive comeback into the kingdom of cool. And recently, on April 23, Ford built its nine millionth Mustang. This was a GT Convertible, earmarked for a dealership in Iowa.

Now Ford’s longest-running nameplate, the Mustang is set to celebrate its 45th anniversary on April 17, 2009, as one of the most widely recognized vehicles in the world. One out of every two sports cars sold in America today is a Mustang.

In that first year of being available, 419,000 examples were sold. The one million mark was topped within two years, out-performing sales records of any other model in the history of the automobile. The car’s become an icon.

There’s also an aftermarket parts and accessories industry worth nearly $1 billion, marking the ’Stang as the most personalized vehicle of all time. The organization that represents aftermarket manufacturers and tuners, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has also dubbed the Mustang as the most accessory-friendly new vehicle.

For any spouse or parent who is still unconvinced, the following information might sway them that the car’s a sensible buy. The current Mustang starts at $19,650 for the V6 Deluxe Coupe. The Convertible model gets the maximum five stars from the National Highways Traffic Highway Safety Association (NHTSA) for frontal, side impact and rollover protection. Hey, it’s worth a try.

-- Colin Ryan