Today in Automotive History
1959 The Mustang's Little Cousin
The Ford Motor Company introduced its new marque, the Ford Falcon, in the first nationwide closed-circuit television news conference. Originally envisioned as a compact economy car, the Falcon name grew to include everything from sporty convertibles to the Ranchero truck, though all Falcons essentially remained small, fuel-efficient cars. When the Mustang was introduced in 1964, Ford used the Falcon's unitized chassis, as well as elements of the Falcon drive train, to "re-market" and "re-adapt" the Mustang. The Mustang was an immediate success, leaving the Falcon to exist in the shadow of its more powerful cousin. The Ford Falcon was eventually discontinued in 1971, but the success of the Volkswagen and other compacts just a few years later proved how forward-thinking the original Falcon designers were.
Posted by Quality Weenie at September 2, 2004 08:01 AM