COLOGNE: It has taken just one month for Ford to clock up 1.1 million European orders for its latest-generation Mustang, even though it won't be arriving in dealerships until the summer.

Still, motorists in Europe have already been waiting over 50 years for the Mustang to arrive, so a few more months won't hurt.

When the original Mustang went on sale in the US in 1964, sales were quite literally off the chart. No car before or since has seen such consumer demand and the sales records it set stand to this day.

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Ford received 22,000 orders on launch day, sold 418,812 examples within the first 12 months, and within 18 months the one millionth Mustang had rolled off the production line. Remarkable for a car only available in a single country.

And when those first Pony cars do start hitting the streets of Europe, expect to see a lot of examples finished in Race Red. According to Ford's data, 20percent of all European orders are for a Mustang finished in bright red. Black is the second most popular colour choice and deep blue comes in third.

As such, European and Chinese tastes appear to be aligning. The new Mustang has just gone on sale in China and over one third of orders (35%) are also for Race Red. However, with 20% of orders, black is pushed down into third place by the popularity of Oxford White.

White is currently the most popular car colour in the US but not when it comes to the Mustang. Since going on sale in late 2014, the majority of cars have been specified in black. Magnetic metallic grey is the second most popular choice with red making up the top three.

Whatever the colour choice, there is little doubt that the new Mustang will look good, but the volume of orders in the EU is significant for another reason - motorists believe in the new car.



The last-generation Mustang was available as an import and while it looked great, as most US muscle cars do, it was a disappointment to anyone who is more used to driving a German or even Japanese-built sportscar. It had a live rear axle (something that disappeared in Europe in the 1970s) and some of the interior fittings and finishes weren't up to scratch.

However the new car is the latest in a growing number of US-built vehicles that really can challenge the European motoring establishment. The handling, dynamics, comfort and performance are as good as its exterior design cues and Ford is so confident that the car is going to be a hit that it has actually built the new Mustang in both left- and right-hand drive forms.

 

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