Ford Mustang Is Europe’s Best Selling Sports Car

Since the first Ford Mustang hit streets in 1964, it's endured solely a product of the U.S.A. for the benefit of North America buyers only. Sure, the cars could be imported at substantial cost, and there was the whole left-hand drive problem for countries where driving on the left side of the road was the norm. Through the years Ford has suggested the Mustang wouldn't sell well enough in European and Asian markets to make an international edition worthwhile.

That may or may not have been true with the old solid-axle Mustang, but since Ford gave the 'Stang a set of independent legs it seems the world can't get enough. The manufacturer says more than 15,000 Mustang orders were placed in Europe during its first full-year of sales, with the United Kingdom accounting for 4,500 of those. Going by specific countries, Ford says the Mustang is the most popular sports car in France, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Finland, and Greece. Ford also says the Mustang is the best-selling sports car in China, with 2016 sales up 74 percent versus 2015.

"From the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean, the Ford Mustang has topped the sports car sales charts in markets across Europe," said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe, in a press release. "European customers continue to play a significant role in the global success of Mustang. The iconic sports car's popularity with drivers of all ages and backgrounds shows no sign of waning – we sold 3,600 Mustangs in the region during the first three months of 2017."

Globally, Ford sold 150,000 Mustangs last year to claim the title as the world's most popular sports car. 45,000 of those sales occurred outside North America, and we can't help but wonder if there aren't Ford executives in Dearborn wondering why it took this long to send the Mustang overseas. It seems even the semi-regular video stream of Mustangs dive-bombing crowds outside car shows can't dampen global enthusiasm for the original pony car. With a mid-cycle refresh coming to showrooms this fall, there's every reason to believe the Mustang's international appeal will continue to climb.