Pony Car Competition: Mustang Fighters

When Ford introduced the Mustang in 1964, they caught other auto makers by surprise. No one was anticipating the popularity of the muscle car and Dodge, Chevy and Pontiac were left scrambling. It would be at least two years before any of them had a car that could compete with the Mustang, but once they did finally get it right, it served to make Mustangs even better. Let's take a look at the main pony car competitors, then and now.

Dodge - The rivalry between the Charger and the Mustang is best highlighted in the iconic chase scene from the movie Bullitt. Although on paper the Charger is a higher performance vehicle, the Mustang can still beat it from time to time. Dodge has reintroduced their Charger as Mustang takes its cues from the 1968 models to make today's Mustangs even better. The old rivalry has reared its head once again and it will be interesting to see who has the edge. The new Dodge Challenger will certainly prove to a competitor for the redesigned Mustang.

Pontiac - The Firebird was the original pony car for Pontiac, but in the late 60's they also came out with the Trans Am, beating Ford to the punch on a name they had intended for their Boss 302 Mustang. The two have been fighting it out ever since. Although production on these models has halted, the old rivalry was present once again as a Ford GT500KR was chosen to be the new KITT in the remake of Knight Rider, replacing the Pontiac that was used in the original.

Chrysler - The original Plymouth Barracuda was introduced right as Mustang reached its pinnacle in 1967 and 1968. This is still one of the most cherished muscle cars of all time and perhaps the best competitor a Mustang ever had. It got its start as a Valiant however, and was changed in production to make it look cooler. Chrysler has gotten away from their muscle car history and it looks as though Dodge will be the one to continue this rivalry.

Chevy - Chevy's Camaro was thought to be the best Pony car on the road for awhile, but it's the Corvette that consistently blows the Mustang out of the water. Critics point out that they are two very different vehicles but that hasn't stopped Ford from trying to come up with a way to beat them anyway. By far, GM is the automaker that has tried to remain competitive with Ford, despite their early failure with the Corvair Manza. The Camaro has gone into production once again right as Ford improves their models. Fans of both can't wait to see how they stack up in competition.

There were a few other notables along the way that tried to match the muscle of the Mustang. Even AMC gave it a whirl with their Javelin and the two-seater AMX. Neither one could come close, but you have to hand it to American Motors for trying. This kind of competition can only serve to create even better vehicles for muscle car enthusiasts and new innovations.