Who Was the Inventor of the Ford Mustang?

When Ford Motor Co. introduced its first Mustang in April 1964, it did so with modest expectations. The company thought it would sell less than 100,000 units in the first year and ended up selling more than a million by the end of the second year. With the introduction of the Mustang, Ford captured the attention of the baby boomer generation with considerable success.

Engineer Donald Frey oversaw the design of the Mustang, a job that would either put him on the unemployment line or propel his career dramatically forward. Fortunately for him, it did the later. Frey's design team created the car in a quick 18-month period, working closely with the iconic Lee Iacocca, Ford's then General Manager. Henry Ford II did not initially approve of the project, leaving Frey to work under the radar with his team to develop the automobile. Ford eventually approved the Mustang and reportedly told Frey that he would be fired if it was not successful. Given the Mustang's huge reception, Ford promoted Frey to vice president of North American vehicle development in 1967.