The Mustang's runaway success after its April 1964 debut left most of Ford Motor Co.'s rivals scrambling to develop their own pony cars.
Three years later, the Mustang had plenty of competition but no other sporty compact came close to matching the Mustang's sales in the 1960s.
The Mustang's formula was fairly basic: three body styles -- coupe, convertible and fastback -- engines ranging from mild to wild, a comprehensive options list that enabled buyers to personalize their cars, and most important, a low starting price, $2,368 at introduction, rising to $2,618 in 1969.
In mid-April 1964, the Mustang had little competition.
American Motors
The Rambler 440 and Marlin fastback were the closest AMC had to sporty nameplates. Rambler was known as an economy brand, and the Marlin was a large car. Neither challenged the Mustang.