EDMONTON – It’s been exactly 50 years since Ford rolled out its iconic Mustang at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.
Ford returned to the Big Apple to mark the milestone Thursday, unveiling its 50 Year Limited Edition model on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. The bright yellow convertible had to be broken into five pieces for the ride up the building’s elevators and reassembled after hours.
WATCH: Ford recreates historic moment by assembling Mustang atop Empire State Building
“I think Ford has been extremely good at staying true to the original vision and original iconic status of the Mustang while moving forward with the times and integrating the new technology,” said John Church of the Alberta Mustang Owners Association.
You can see how the car has evolved over the years in the video from Ford below:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cOJB7x1MOI
Church says he’d get one of each if he had all the money in world. For now, he has a 2006 Mustang GT.
A vintage Mustang in mint condition could set you back well over $100,000 — a far cry from the $2,300 it sold for in 1964.
In the first day of sales alone, 22,000 orders were taken for the muscle car. The 100,000 units that were slated to be built for the year were sold in three months. Another 318,000 vehicles ended up getting sold that model year — a sales record.
Its first commercial boasted that a Mustang is “the car that dreams are made of,” and “even though Mustang is a dream, its low price is a beautiful reality.”
Although it may have lost its low price, the car has retained its iconic status to many. The fact that it’s had a presence in pop culture, first appearing in James Bond’s ‘Goldfinger’ in 1964 and then alongside actors like Steve McQueen, also probably hasn’t hurt.
“It has huge appeal to anyone who’s interested in cars,” said Church.
“Anyone in North America who thinks about a car that’s got a lot of power and offers you a lot of freedom, thinks about the Mustang.”
-With files from The Associated Press and Shane Jones, Global News
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