What Is The Ford Mustang Named After? The History Behind The Name

You can't go wrong with a good muscle car. They're powerful, fast, and stand out from the pack when driving side-by-side with run-of-the-mill trucks, sedans, and the like. Throughout the decades, a few varieties have become the stuff of automobile legend, with the surprisingly spin-out-prone Ford Mustang standing strong within this class. Introduced in 1964, the Mustang has become one of Ford's flagship vehicles. Though there have been both good and bad Mustang generations, on the whole, the name means a lot to car enthusiasts. At the same time, there is some confusion about that name and where exactly it comes from.

For years, the origin of the Mustang name has been attributed to another historic vehicle, albeit not one that dominates the roadways. Many have claimed that Ford's Mustang is named after the North American P-51 Mustang – a fighter plane that came to fruition in the early 1940s, notably taking part in World War II and later, the Korean Conflict. Though they didn't stick around long, being retired in 1957, Mustangs were maneuverable, could cover long distances, and held their own in combat situations. Now, they're remembered among the most legendary planes of WW2. However, in truth, these planes are not the basis for the Ford Mustang's name.

Rather, the true origin of the Mustang name stems from a pretty obvious source that has been confirmed by those within Ford itself.

The idea that the Ford Mustang is named after the P-51 Mustang has floated around for years, and at face value, it's a reasonable claim to believe. The P-51 served in two major conflicts and was renowned for its speed, efficiency, and maneuverability. Of course a car manufacturer would name their latest and greatest car after such legendary and capable planes. In reality, though, when it came time for Ford to name the Mustang, the powers that be looked to a more obvious source of inspiration that makes a ton of sense: actual Mustangs, the animal that has been present on the car's logo since the beginning.

Yes, surprise, surprise, the Ford Mustang is named after Mustangs, as in the breed of horse synonymous with the United States West that has been said to reach 54 mph when running. This revelation is even posted on the Ford Performance website, where it's explained that John Conley — an account executive at Ford's advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson – came up with the name along with thousands of others per the direction of then-Ford president Lee Iacocca. It and tons of other names were presented to Ford product planners in survey form, with Mustang consistently winning out. It sounded American and evoked images of wide-open spaces on the American frontier, so it's not too shocking that it won Americans of the '60s over. With that, the car was named, and the rest is history.

With Ford having set the record straight about the true story behind the Mustang name, time will tell if the horse tale will take hold, or if the P-51 rumor will endure into the future.