On April 17th every year, petrolheads around the globe unite to celebrate World Mustang Day, a tribute to one of the most legendary nameplates in automotive history. And no, your Mustang + Crowd jokes might not be tolerated here. This year is particularly special: 2025 marks 61 years since the Ford Mustang first galloped onto the world stage, and this year also marks the first World Mustang Day since the new generation Mustang was revealed in 2024.
World Mustang Day: A Global Celebration
In 2014, to celebrate 50 years of the Mustang, massive gatherings and events were organized by clubs across the USA and beyond. The idea for World Mustang Day was born in late 2015, with the goal of giving Mustang owners and enthusiasts a dedicated day to hit the open road and show the world that April 17th belongs to the Mustang.
Thousands of Mustangs cruise city streets and country roads every year, from classic first-gens to the latest GTD and Dark Horse models, creating an unmistakable rumble of V8 thunder and uniting fans across the world. The 2025 World Mustang Day is further bolstered by the newest and most powerful Mustang setting a new lap record around the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The Birth Of An Icon
Gail Wise, a young schoolteacher, unknowingly became the world’s first Mustang owner on April 15, 1964. By buying a Skylight Blue convertible with her very first paycheck, two days before the official launch, she kickstarted a phenomenon that would soon sweep across the globe. Unveiled on April 17, 1964, at the New York World’s Fair, the Mustang captured imaginations instantly, with sleek styling, a sporty character, and an accessible price point.
The Mustang created a new class. It was the original ‘Pony Car,’ giving birth to a wave of affordable, performance-oriented coupes that combined style with muscle. In its first year alone, Ford sold an astonishing 418,812 units, hitting the 1 million mark within 18 months. By 2018, the Mustang had galloped past 10 million sales.
Mustang In The Middle East
The Mustang’s story is not confined to American shores. In 2014, Ford made a grand statement by unveiling the sixth-generation Mustang at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Arriving in Middle Eastern showrooms in 2015, it wasn’t just the standard models that captured enthusiasts’ hearts; it was also special editions like the Bullitt, Mach 1, and California Special, all of which quickly became coveted collector’s items.
Fast forward to today, and the seventh-generation Mustang GT has landed in the region, bringing with it the advanced fourth-generation 5.0-liter Coyote V8, an edgier exterior that still echoes the Mustang’s timeless DNA, and a driver-centric cockpit packed with cutting-edge technology.
Adding even more excitement to the stable is the Mustang Dark Horse — a mean, track-capable machine with a fire-breathing 500hp 5.0-liter V8 under the hood. Cloaked in sinister styling and engineered for adrenaline, the Dark Horse is aimed squarely at enthusiasts who crave an adrenaline-filled driving experience.
Mustang GTD: Pushing the Boundaries
If there was ever any doubt that Mustang could play in the big leagues, the 2025 Mustang GTD has obliterated it. Developed with the racing wizards at Multimatic, the GTD is a limited-production, road-legal monster engineered to compete against the world’s elite sports cars. With a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 producing 815hp, active aerodynamics, a semi-active suspension, and a rear-mounted dual-clutch transaxle for near-perfect weight distribution, the GTD is nothing short of revolutionary.
And it’s not just about numbers. In a historic moment, the GTD smashed through the seven-minute barrier at Germany’s fabled Nürburgring Nordschleife, clocking an official time of 6:57.685 — making it the first American-brand car to achieve this feat, and this also places it among the top five fastest production cars ever to lap the Green Hell. This is history in the making.
As we mark 61 years of the Ford Mustang, one thing is clear — the Mustang is a cultural phenomenon. From a humble Skylight Blue convertible to Nürburgring-conquering monsters, the Mustang’s journey is one of relentless evolution.
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