Mustang Sales by Year

Mustang Sales by Year

Last Updated June 12, 2023 | C.J. Tragakis

The Ford Mustang went on sale in 1964 as a 1965 model year. While so many cars have come and gone, the Mustang has been sold every year since. It’s weathered recessions, gas price hikes, and changes in consumer tastes.

The Mustang was originally built to be the second generation of the Ford Falcon. However, the line proved so popular that it has become the only Ford “pony” car to remain in production for more than five decades. It’s a household name and an icon of American automotive design.

View the table below to see the production numbers for each model year of the Ford Mustang.

Ford Mustang U.S. Sales by Model Year
Mustang Model YearTotal U.S. Sales
1964.5 121,538
1965 559,451
1966 607,568
1967 472,121
1968 317,404
1969 299,824
1970 191,239
1971 151,484
1972 125,813
1973 134,817
1974 385,993
1975 188,575
1976 187,567
1977 153,173
1978 192,410
1979 369,936
1980 271,322
1981 182,552
1982 130,418
1983 120,873
1984 141,480
1985 156,514
1986 224,410
1987 169,772
1988 211,225
1989 209,769
1990 128,189
1991 98,737
1992 79,280
1993 114,335
1994 123,198
1995 136,962
1996 122,674
1997 116,610
1998 144,732
1999 166,915
2000 173,676
2001 169,198
2002 138,356
2003 140,350
2004 129,858
2005 160,975
2006 166,530
2007 134,626
2008 91,251
2009 66,623
2010 73,716
2011 70,438
2012 82,995
2013 77,186
2014 82,635
2015 122,349
2016 105,932
2017 81,866
2018 75,842
2019 72,489
2020 61,090
Ford Mustang U.S. Sales by Generation
Mustang GenerationModel YearsTotal U.S. Sales
First Generation 1964.5-1973 2,981,259
Second Generation (Mustang II) 1974-1978 1,107,718
Third Generation (Fox Body) 1979-1993 2,608,812
Fourth Generation (SN95) 1994-2004 1,562,529
Fifth Generation (S197) 2005-2014 1,006,975
Sixth Generation (S550) 2015-Present 519,568 (2015-2020)

Ford Mustangs Sold by Year Chart

Highs: Early Dominance in the Late 60s

The Mustang started strong, with over half a million units sold in the very first year. In fact, the three bestselling years (in order) were 1966, 1965, and 1967. Sales were 607,500, 559,500, and 472,000 cars, respectively. These cars represented the best that Mustang had to offer in its first generation. The novelty of an affordable, stylish, and performance-oriented American car made it a best-seller.

Top Five Mustang Years by Sales

When the Mustang launched at the beginning of 1964, it received positive critical acclaim. It also got a large boost in public awareness from its appearance in the 1964 James Bond film “Goldfinger.” Within the first 18 months of production, Ford built more than one million Mustangs.

The Ford Mustang was launched five months prior to the official beginning of the 1965 calendar year. These early Mustangs are officially 1965 models. However, Ford gave the Mustang some changes at the start of the model year. This caused enough differences in the models that they're now separated as the 1964 1/2 and the 1965 models amongst enthusiasts. If counted together, the 1965 model would have sold roughly 686,000 units.

White 1964.5 Mustang Convertible

The 1966 coupe model still holds the record as the best-selling Mustang of all time, accounting for nearly 500,000 of that year’s sales.

Lows: The Great Recession

Mustang production numbers naturally fluctuated over the years. However, even with some of the worst performing Mustangs of all time, Ford had never faced a sales slump like the 2008 Great Recession. Things came to a head in 2009, where sales dropped below 70,000 units for the first time ever. All automakers had a tough time, but cars that were less fuel-efficient and deemed “less practical” were hit especially hard.

Though things weren’t great, the Mustang still did very well compared to its rivals. It narrowly beat the Camaro in 2009, with 66,500 Mustangs sold versus 61,648 Camaros. The Dodge Challenger, a larger car but still a competitor, had just 25,852 sales.

After 2009, the S197 generation failed to surpass 100,000 in annual models sold. However, the launch of the S550 in 2015 finally put the Mustang back on the right track and generated lots of excitement.

Expanding the Mustang Brand

The S550 generation has been a success, but Ford is already looking forward. The new generation, code-named S650, is due to arrive in 2023. But Ford is also taking the Mustang in a new direction.

The all-electric Mustang Mach-E represents a new era for the Mustang brand and the beginning of a sub-brand family. Though model sales will still be counted individually, this will put the Mustang name on an even larger number of vehicles. It will also position the Mustang for future success as electric cars become more prevalent.

Sources: Ford Mustang Sales Figures, GoodCarBadCar | Ford Mustang Sales Numbers, Ford Authority | Sales Figures?, The Mustang Source

This article was researched, written, edited, and reviewed following the steps outlined in our editorial process. Learn more about CJ's editorial standards and guidelines.