1951 Ford F100 Truck on 2040-cars

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Ford reflects on radical Mustang concept that never reached showrooms

The Ford Mustang that we all know and love made major waves in the auto industry way back in 1964 by offering style and reasonable pricing with optional V8 power. Its long hood and short rear deck, combined with a low-slung and sporty cockpit, made a lasting impression in the minds of consumers and car designers alike, and its basic shape has so endured the test of time that it's still in use today.
This being the case, you may be interested to know that the first Mustang of 1964.5 wasn't actually the first Mustang at all, being preceded by a concept car that made its public debut in 1962. This concept was nothing like the car that would eventually make it into production, with a radical wedge shape and a small V4 engine sitting behind the car's two occupants, driving the rear wheels. In other words, the conceptual Mustang was pretty much the complete opposite of the production Mustang besides the name.
Ford has kindly decided go through its massive archive to bring the original Mustang concept back into the public eye. The company goes so far as to pose this question to fans of the pony car: "Should we borrow a few of these style elements for the next iteration of the Mustang?" Check out our image gallery above and then let 'em know what you think in the Comments below.

Ford GT heading back to Le Mans [w/video]

Ford is set to return to endurance sports car racing, and return in a big way. Announced this morning at Le Mans, the Blue Oval will be entering a version of the new Ford GT in endurance racing series on both sides of the Atlantic. The highly accomplished Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team will field the Ford GT next season in the LM GTE Pro class in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and in the United SportsCar Championship, culminating in a four-car entry at next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. That will mark the 50th anniversary of Ford's landmark victory at Le Mans in 1966. The pivotal, dominant one-two-three finish lead to a further three back-to-back wins with the legendary GT40 - the historic progenitor of the new GT revealed in Detroit earlier this year. Ford isn't saying much about the technical specs underpinning the new competition-spec GT developed with Multimatic, but it's expected to follow closely along the lines of the road-going supercar we've already seen. That includes the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 developed in conjunction with Roush Yates and which has already proven a winner in Daytona Prototypes. We also know that the crazy diffuser you see here will be part of 2016's regulations. Look for the new Ford GT racer to mark its debut in January in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. In the meantime, you can scope it out in the high-resolution image gallery above, the video below and the press release at bottom. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Ford Returning to Le Mans in 2016 with All-New Ford GT, Marking 50th Anniversary of 1966 Victory - Ford returns to Le Mans in 2016 with the all-new Ford GT supercar to compete in LM GTE Pro class, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Ford's 1966 overall victory - All-new Ford factory program to compete in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with a two-team, four-car effort – operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates - Ford GT is company's showcase for aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fibre construction, along with new twin-turbocharged Ford EcoBoost V6 – most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever LE MANS, France, June 12, 2015 – Ford announced today it is returning to one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world with its new Ford GT race car, based on the all-new ultra-high-performance supercar that goes on sale next year.

Gary Cooper's 1935 Duesenberg SSJ fetches record price at Pebble Beach

The 1935 Duesenberg SSJ formerly owned by Gary Cooper sold for a jaw-dropping $22 million over the weekend at the Gooding & Co. Pebble Beach auction, setting a record for the most valuable pre-war car ever sold at auction. It also appears to have become the most expensive American collector car ever sold at auction, eclipsing the very first Shelby Cobra ever made, which sold for $13.75 million in 2016. The Duesenberg was also the lone American-made entrant in the list of top 10 sellers, which was crowded with the names Ferrari and Porsche. You have to go all the way down the list to No. 21 to find the next American car: a 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Phaeton, which sold for a mere $1.127 million. All told, Gooding & Co. said it realized more than $116.5 million in auction sales over the weekend, with a whopping 25 cars sold for north of $1 million, an 84 percent sales rate and an average transaction price of $947,174. Clearly this is how the other half 1 percent lives. Gooding & Co. said there were five world-record sales at the auction. Joining the Duesenberg were a 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series II, which sold for $5.005 million; a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta, $6.6 million; a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC Speciale, $3.41 million; and a one-of-two 1966 Ferrari Dino Berlinetta GT, $3.08 million. Oh, and that 1969 Ford Bronco test vehicle we told you about? The one that was rebadged by Holman & Moody as a Bronco Hunter? It sold for $121,000, which was well below the expected range of $180,000 to $220,000. Perhaps it was the presence of all those gorgeous Porsche Spyders and Ferraris that meant collectors weren't interested in boxy, utilitarian off-roaders. View 24 Photos Gooding and Co. had expected the convertible Duesenberg coupe to go for more than $10 million. It was one of only two of its kind built by Duesenberg — the other having gone to Clark Gable — with a specially shortened, 125-inch wheelbase and a supercharged straight-eight with double overhead cams, able to produce around 400 horsepower and a top speed of 140 miles per hour. It features a lightweight open-roadster bobtail body produced by LaGrande out of Connersville, Ind. The car was also owned at one point by race driver Briggs Cunningham.