Mustang is #1 global sports car

According to analysis of IHS Markit new vehicle registration data, Ford sold more than 150,000 Mustangs in 2016, with export markets like Australia (6,208 sales in 2016) accounting for 45,000 of that total.

While total growth in Mustang sales was up 6 per cent in 2016, international market growth increased by a significant 101 per cent over the same period.

Ford said that, last year, the key growth markets outside the US were Germany and China: in the latter, the Mustang has become the top-selling sports car since introduction in 2015, with sales up 74 per cent in 2016.

 “The legacy of Mustang continues to grow, and in places it never reached before,” said Mark Schaller, Ford Mustang marketing manager. “We continue to make it available in new markets, and drivers in those markets continue to respond with resounding approval.”

The Mustang is now sold in 140 countries worldwide, with new markets to be added this year, including Brazil and several African nations.  Those new markets will receive the refreshed 2018-model Mustang (see JUST CARS #252), which is likely to reach Australia by early 2018.

Aside from a restyle of the front and back end, the MY18 Mustang also features more power and torque in both V8 and EcoBoost 4 forms, as well as a 10-speed auto transmission, new safety tech, a fully-customisable 12-inch LCD instrument display and the option of magnetic suspension and an active exhaust system.