Why 'Pony'?

[Vlad Soare]

Probably a silly question, I know, but I'm curious nevertheless. Why do people refer to this car as a pony?
This looks like a total misnomer to me.
First, a mustang is not a pony. It's a proper, full-size horse.
Second, this car is all about power and masculinity, it's mean, it's aggressive, it looks and sounds as if it were shouting "get the hell out of my way or I'll eat you alive". If I had to picture this car as a horse, it would be the horse of a warrior, not a cute little girl's pony. If it were a horse, it would wear an armour, not a pink ribbon.
So, what gives? How come everyone sees it as a 'pony'?

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[wade001]

when initially released, this was(is) a pony car..

a pony car is pretty much defined as an "affordable sports car" back then..

 

[Johnnybee]

Because the Mustang was the original fun, sporty car that created a new category, so the category was given a nickname after the originator, and “horse car” doesn’t roll off the tongue as well.

 

[offroadkarter]

horse owners refer to horses as "ponies" in the same sense that dog owners call all dogs "puppies" or cat owners call cats "kitties"

yes i'm aware a pony does not equal a young horse

being that this is a horse branded car, you can see where the two names may intersect

also some wold consider the 64.5 mustang a "cute girls car", hell wasn't that a line in Ford vs Ferrari?

 

[Balr14]

Calling a Mustang a horse car sounds kind of weird.

 

[Bikeman315]

Here is the origin of the name.

The 1965 Mustang provided the template for the new class of automobiles.[19][20] The term "pony car" to describe members of its ranks was coined by Car Life magazine editor Dennis Shattuck.[21] The characteristics of a pony car were defined as:[22]

• A sporty compact car for the masses,[23] which could carry four people
• Long hood, short deck profile, and "open mouth" styling[24]
• Affordable base price (under US$2,500 — in 1965 dollar value)
• Wide range of options to individualize each car
• Manufactured using mass-produced parts shared with other models
• Youth-oriented marketing and advertising
• 
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony_car

 

[Johnnybee]

also some wold consider the 64.5 mustang a "cute girls car", hell wasn't that a line in Ford vs Ferrari?

“Secretary’s car”, I believe was the term used. Yep, the car was such an embarrassment that GM “waited” 3 years to bring out their version.

 

[Hack]

Compare the Mustang to other cars of the day like the GTO, Torino, Chevelle, Cutlass etc. All 2 door cars that were significantly larger than the Mustang. Hence pony.

 

[Ebm]

Would you rather it had been called a Ford Clydesdale?

 

[WildHorse]

Has to due with seating position/looks. Sit on a horse, look forward long neck/head, turn around and look, short ass.
Mustangs / camaros / cuda / challenger / javelin etc, are the same long hood, short deck.
Reason for PONY is cause they ain't full size thoroughbreds like galaxies / roadrunners / impalas etc.
And puts them into a class of car that's only applicable to American Muscle. Cheers.

 

[hemistar1]

I support the pony. When my kids were younger they called my 07 GTCS the ‘horsey car” and my 2015 GT the “blue stallion” because it was deep impact blue.

my latest and greatest a shadow black 2019 GT is hence know as the black stallion.

Pony, horsey, mare, stallion, thouroughbred, trigger, Clydesdale etc..I am a true horse enthusiast.

 

[frank s]

What cost $2500 in 1965 would cost $20556.60 in 2019.

Also, if you were to buy exactly the same products in 2019 and 1965,
they would cost you $2500 and $305.23 respectively.

What cost $32500 in 2019 would cost $3952.50 in 1965.

Also, if you were to buy exactly the same products in 1965 and 2019,
they would cost you $32500 and $266188.85 respectively.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Yep, the car was such an embarrassment that GM “waited” 3 years to bring out their version.

That "embarrassment" had a million copies on the road before chevy even got the first one out the door.

 

[Copperhead73]

That "embarrassment" had a million copies on the road before chevy even got the first one out the door.

Chebby always copies Ford. Mass Production, Pony Car, El Camino, Retro Styling, Avoiding Gov't bailouts...wait...scratch that last one.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Probably a silly question, I know, but I'm curious nevertheless. Why do people refer to this car as a pony?
This looks like a total misnomer to me.
First, a mustang is not a pony. It's a proper, full-size horse.
Second, this car is all about power and masculinity, it's mean, it's aggressive, it looks and sounds as if it were shouting "get the hell out of my way or I'll eat you alive". If I had to picture this car as a horse, it would be the horse of a warrior, not a cute little girl's pony. If it were a horse, it would wear an armour, not a pink ribbon.
So, what gives? How come everyone sees it as a 'pony'?

When the Mustang first appeared, it was more or less "junior muscle" in its top-performing trim.

Regardless of whether the Mustang took its name from horses and the U.S. West or from the P51 fighter plane of WWII, it was positioned slightly 'below' the all-out muscle cars of the period. So it only made sense to somehow dial the nickname back a bit. That it ended up defining an entire genre of cars suggests that 'pony' was the right name.

The Mustang really didn't start picking up a muscular image until Ford shoehorned the FE 390 CID big-blocks into the Mustang's engine compartment a couple of years later (after the same swap had been done privately).


Norm

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