Yeah, I know that's dangerous. But seriously. We all know the Ford Mustang is attributed as being the first "pony" car but the more I look at it's dimensions, body construction, engine/drivetrain availability and other factors I just don't see it. I think the f85 would have given the Mustang a run for it's money in all departments. Comments?

 

Nope, sorry. The Mustang started the long hood/short decklid styling. That's why they're called PONY cars.

 

Posting a Ford question on a Olds forum. Yeah your going to get a lot of one sided comments, but that's good for people wanting to learn or share about Olds they know they're on the right site for Olds answers.

It all depends on which year Mustang, which model, and what drive train.

When compared with similar power and options it going to be what you like more then anything.

I guess I'm going to answer the question like this. On my way to look at my Cutlass before I bought it. I saw a 71 Mach 1 for sale in a little better shape then the Cutlass and only a few hundred more. I bought the Cutlass because I wanted something that you don't see everyday, something that is familiar, but turns heads when it drives by. Something that stood out when lined up with cars from the same time period. That's why I own an Olds.

 

Close in wheelbase mabey in the two door model, but with the mustang as in a camaro other than engine sizes the car was pretty much a one option deal. With the f-85 based cars you could 4 doors and wagons, so you can't really put them in single class like a pony car.

 

Yes, I know that is one of the marques of the pony car and the f85 doesn't quite fit the bill. I do remember that the similarity of names (pony - mustang) was intentionally done by the person that coined the term since he was referring to the Mustang. I just think the little f85 of the early sixties was such a sharp looking car, maybe dreaming for something that really wasn't there I suppose. Thanks for the reality check.

 

And I don't think the term "Ponycar" was used until 1967, when automotive journalists needed to put the Ford Mustang into a "class" of cars. The Mustang wasn't a compact, it wasn't a sub-compact, it wasn't an intermediate, it was a sporty car, but it wasn't a sports car (those were 2-seat Corvettes, Ferrari, etc), so they needed to classify the Mustang class of car when it became obvious the other manufacturers were all building their own version of the Mustang.

I think I read somewhere that the Barracuda actually came out just before the Mustang? Obviously, the Mustang was far more popular, and the term "Ponycar" was in reference to the galloping Ford Mustang. That's a good thing, because if the Barracuda had been the big seller, the Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, and Barracuda may have been known as "Fishycars".

 

You mean like notchback, fastback, and convertible?

Speaking of Mustangs, besides the long hood/short deck styling that it pioneered, there's another styling feature that was first used on the Mustang. That's the kick-up in the beltline on the rear quarter, before the C pillar. Ironically, one of the things that I always thought was wrong with the styling of the 2005-2009 Mustangs was the lack of this kick-up, which has been a signature Mustang thing. Fortunately that was fixed with the 2010 models.

 

....about Mustangs.
If you see another American car on the road down here there's a 70% chance it will be a Mustang. There are some really nice ones and I'll admit I do like the 65 - 68 models, but there are so many of them. That's one of the reasons I've gone with the Olds (despite being a Mopar enthusiast originally)....just to have a point of difference. And in doing that I've discovered what great cars they are. So in a way I guess I can thank Mustangs for my newfound passion for Oldsmobiles.

 

Didn't the 1964 Baracuda preceed the Mustang by a few weeks? To my knowlegde the Baracuda, 'Cudas and Challengers are pony cars as well.

 

Col, you're up early for a Saturday morning.

 

Ha Ha Ha...!!! Yep, I didn't go to the pub last night
It's now 11.26 am and I'm bored spitless. I'm usually getting up around now on a Saturday with no time left to do everything I planned to do before too many beers with the boys on Friday night.
Can't mow...rained last night.
Can't cruise...Olds is in Auckland.
I'll take the pups for a walk !!
Then have a beer.

And re the Barracuda Vs Mustang issue, as far as I can tell the First Mustang came off the line on 9th March 1964, but the Cuda beat it to market by a couple of weeks (1st April). It was a Pony car but the Mustang was the first with that tag a couple of years later and the tag then covered the Cuda also. Mustangs outsold Cuda's 8:1.
Give me a matching numbers 1970 Hemi Cuda anyday!

 

They're girl cars, especially the early ones.
'64 Barracudas and 64-1/2 Mustangs were both released in April of '64.
Mustangs were a big deal, they promoted them like crazy, a Falcon with different sheet metal. The neighbor's daughter bought one brand new in '64 and gave me the promo model she got with it. I blew it up with firecrackers to put it out of it's misery after beating it to near death playing with it outside.
She used to give us rides to school once in awhile in that red Rustang. Later on the girl next door on the other side had a boyfriend that bought a brand new '70 Chevelle SS LS-6 4- speed convertible. That was much more fun to get rides to school in.
The car was slightly quick to say the least.

 

No, I meant like a small 2 door, not a 4 door family car or a load hauling station wagon. Regardlss of the roof on the mustang it's still basically the same car for the same purpose.

 

I read that the first 1964 Mustang was bought by a TCA (Trans Canada Airlines - later became Air Canada) pilot by mistake. By the time Ford found it, it was 1966. They asked the guy if he would trade in his 64 Mustang for a brand new 1967 model. He did. DOH! Wonder that 0001 Mustang is worth today?

 

With a base price of $2,368 the Mustang was a highly promoted, very successful car that wasn't meant to be a Rolls Royce.

The fact that any of them are sill on the road amazes me.

Sort of the Bic disposable lighter of cars

 

The Barracuda did come out just before the Mustang debuted but it was quickly overshadowed.

I thought the 53 Studebaker Coupe "pioneered" the long hood short deck look? I'm sure if you look further back there are more examples of that though. The Auburn boat tail comes to mind. There are probably others.

 

Just think - but for a quirk of fate, instead of pony cars the whole genre could have become fish cars...

 

Oh, the jokes we could have come up with if it had!

 

And that is what they look like if you were silly enough to carry a battery (that fell over) in the trunk and shorted out on the top of the gas tank, which, coincidentally, is the floor of said trunk.