Why is the Mustang more liked than the Camaro or Challenger?
Discussion
In the UK the Mustang is 100 times more well-known/popular than the Camaro or Challenger. Which in my opinion are much more interesting cars and the high performance versions are a lot faster than the high performance Mustangs. I think the current Mustang looks kind of boring and shares too much styling with the rest of Ford's line-up, I much preferred the look of the fifth generation. If I lived in the USA I wouldn't even consider by a Mustang over the other two.
I believe this was true long before the Mustang was officially sold in the UK.
I believe this was true long before the Mustang was officially sold in the UK.
As a above its the dealer network, the knowledge of the brand... Chevrolet over here sold the matiz ! And the availability of right hand drive cars
The Mustang is a known brand, big dealer network, right hand drive and people already have knowledge of of experience with ford
The camero is left hand drive, no dealer network and to many brought to you by the company who make the matiz and the lacetti
The Mustang is a known brand, big dealer network, right hand drive and people already have knowledge of of experience with ford
The camero is left hand drive, no dealer network and to many brought to you by the company who make the matiz and the lacetti
tenmantaylor said:
Probably a lot to do with Ford being an established popular brand with widespread recognition.
GMs only real foothold in the UK has been Vauxhall, non Ford American car brands have never really succeeded here.
Vauxhall is/was a massive brand though. Maybe they should have released the "Vauxhall Camaro" as they did with the Holden Monaro GMs only real foothold in the UK has been Vauxhall, non Ford American car brands have never really succeeded here.
georgeyboy12345 said:
Because it was the first. Also it has featured in more films, etc. notably Bullitt and Gone in 60 Seconds.
Surely if these were the reasons it would be more iconic in the US as well? These are not UK specific things. Pontiac GTO is actually considered as the first muscle car.
I don't know much about films but I'm pretty sure the Challenger (and Charger) have been used in many films as well (including the Charger chasing the Mustang in Bullitt
DOCG said:
tenmantaylor said:
Probably a lot to do with Ford being an established popular brand with widespread recognition.
GMs only real foothold in the UK has been Vauxhall, non Ford American car brands have never really succeeded here.
Vauxhall is/was a massive brand though. Maybe they should have released the "Vauxhall Camaro" as they did with the Holden Monaro GMs only real foothold in the UK has been Vauxhall, non Ford American car brands have never really succeeded here.
aeropilot said:
Except they didn't.....instead of keeping the Holden badge in the Monaro and VXR8, and thus keep its hertiage (and comp history in the case of the later VXR8 or HSV GTS as it should have stayed as) GM stuck a poxy Vauxhall one on it instead......utter muppets.
Agree, I was somewhat making fun of them in that post. I do wonder whose decision it was to put the Vauxhall badge on it though, GM HQ in Detroit or a UK division of GM?Maybe be because the British holidaymakers who have visited the US over the years and booked a "convertible" as a rental car ended up with a Mustang droptop (even if was the base version) - I've been visiting the US since 1996 and pretty much most of the time I booked an American sports car (hardtop or convertible), it was usually a Mustang that was supplied, with only a couple of occasions where it was a Challenger or Camaro.
Plus, the Mustang has been featured in media a lot since launch in 1964. It's THE iconic US muscle car, even if other muscle cars are better in some respects.
Plus, the Mustang has been featured in media a lot since launch in 1964. It's THE iconic US muscle car, even if other muscle cars are better in some respects.
t rebranded Daewoo Matiz, Lacetti etc.I suspect there are quite a few reasons:
- the first pony car was the Mustang
- it has one of the most numerous appearances on film (the most if you're only looking at something vaguely sporting)
- it is cheaper than the Camaro and Challenger/Charger
- uninterrupted production for 57 years now
- I think the Mustang has been the hero car more often than either of the other 2 including (obviously) one iconic role (Bullitt) and another lesser couple of films but still semi-iconic (Gone in 60 Seconds)
- the first pony car was the Mustang
- it has one of the most numerous appearances on film (the most if you're only looking at something vaguely sporting)
- it is cheaper than the Camaro and Challenger/Charger
- uninterrupted production for 57 years now
- I think the Mustang has been the hero car more often than either of the other 2 including (obviously) one iconic role (Bullitt) and another lesser couple of films but still semi-iconic (Gone in 60 Seconds)
DOCG said:
I believe this was true long before the Mustang was officially sold in the UK.
I think if you go back prior to 2005, the Camaro and Mustang were both similarly niche interests in the UK. There were probably as many fourth-gen Camaros as fourth-gen Mustangs, not many of either. (The Challenger was irrelevant as it died in 1974, the second-gen being a rebadged Mitsubishi).Then from 2005 Ford introduced the fifth-gen Mustang, a much more up to date car on a new platform with much greater buyer appeal. For the next few years Ford had the market to themselves, with the Camaro discontinued. This was probably the period when the Mustang started to creep into the UK and gain a toehold ahead of its Chevy and Dodge rivals. By the time Challengers (2008) and Camaros (2010) started to be unofficially imported, the Mustang had taken a lead.
And of course with the sixth gen, Ford offered RHD (as well as matching its rivals with IRS for the first time), making it a genuine credible model in the UK.
Additionally I think the Challenger was never that high-profile, had little continuity to build a brand, and was also a bit bigger and heavier, which is more of a drawback over this side of the pond.
DOCG said:
georgeyboy12345 said:
Because it was the first. Also it has featured in more films, etc. notably Bullitt and Gone in 60 Seconds.
Surely if these were the reasons it would be more iconic in the US as well? These are not UK specific things. Pontiac GTO is actually considered as the first muscle car.
I don't know much about films but I'm pretty sure the Challenger (and Charger) have been used in many films as well (including the Charger chasing the Mustang in Bullitt
Nice bearding, but out of the Mustang, Camaro and Challenger, the Mustang was the first. I don't have figures, but I'm pretty sure the Mustang massively outsold the Pontiac GTO.
The difference between the Charger and Mustang in Bullitt was that the mustang was the star car of the film and was the car the good guy drove.
The Mustang has a much greater cultural following, i.e. in films like I pointed out, but also songs - there is a list on the web with 50 songs that mention the mustang, Mustang Sally, etc.
DOCG said:
georgeyboy12345 said:
Because it was the first. Also it has featured in more films, etc. notably Bullitt and Gone in 60 Seconds.
Surely if these were the reasons it would be more iconic in the US as well? These are not UK specific things. Pontiac GTO is actually considered as the first muscle car.
The Mustang wasn't considered a muscle car though when it first came out, as it didn't get a big block engine until Shelby created the GT500 in 1967 and Ford stuffed the wheezy old 390 into it the same year.
So, its true the Mustang was still the first of what was called the Pony-car class (because of the name) and which Mopar tried to counter with the Barracuda and then GM entered the fray with the Camaro and Firebird. Size wise, they were one down from the muscle class class, which was an intermediate body with a big block engine.
The fact that all eventually got big-block engines and are referred to now as muscle cars, they were not originally.
aeropilot said:
True about the GTO.......
The Mustang wasn't considered a muscle car though when it first came out, as it didn't get a big block engine until Shelby created the GT500 in 1967 and Ford stuffed the wheezy old 390 into it the same year.
So, its true the Mustang was still the first of what was called the Pony-car class (because of the name) and which Mopar tried to counter with the Barracuda and then GM entered the fray with the Camaro and Firebird. Size wise, they were one down from the muscle class class, which was an intermediate body with a big block engine.
The fact that all eventually got big-block engines and are referred to now as muscle cars, they were not originally.
Barracuda went on sale before the Mustang. Only by two weeks, but it was still first.The Mustang wasn't considered a muscle car though when it first came out, as it didn't get a big block engine until Shelby created the GT500 in 1967 and Ford stuffed the wheezy old 390 into it the same year.
So, its true the Mustang was still the first of what was called the Pony-car class (because of the name) and which Mopar tried to counter with the Barracuda and then GM entered the fray with the Camaro and Firebird. Size wise, they were one down from the muscle class class, which was an intermediate body with a big block engine.
The fact that all eventually got big-block engines and are referred to now as muscle cars, they were not originally.
Gassing Station | Yank Motors | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff