The Ford Mustang GT
Mustang GT
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Starting in April of 1965, Ford Motor Company released a trim line for their new Mustang that was identified by only two letters, GT. Thanks in part to the Mustang those two letters have become associated with performance throughout the United States, after having been predominantly a European suffix attached to the end of fine Italian sports cars before the Mustang began using the GT initials. GT stands for Gran Turismo, which had been the regular indication of a European performance car with such models at the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT. Since Ford Motor Company popularized the use of the "GT" moniker, it has been used by many other models both in the US and around the world.
The Mustang GT has always been a performance line, if not the performance line for Ford. While there were years where more limited production, high performance models were offered, such as the Mach1, the Boss Mustangs, and the various Mustang Cobras, there has been no performance trim line from Ford Motor Company, or any other American model that has withstood the test of time for such an extended period. While the GT name was dropped briefly in the early to mid 1970s, since its return in the late 1970s the GT has been among the leaders in American performance cars. This is why the Mustang GT is probably the most well known and best selling performance car and trim line ever built.
