The sixth generation Mustang is right around the corner, and a lot has changed over the course of 50 years. Ford, however, wants you to pay particular attention to some of the things that haven’t changed all that much in half a century. From the shark bite nose on back to the tri-bar tail lamps, the more certain things change over the course of 50 Years of Mustang Design DNA, the more they stay the same.
Related: Ford Announces the Mustang 50 Year Limited Edition
50 Years of Mustang Design DNA Interactive Feature (roll over icons for video)
“All great sports cars are living, breathing machines that reflect both their drivers and their creators,” said Moray Callum, Ford vice president of global design. “Like a living organism, they must change and adapt, or go extinct.”
“As one of the few cars that has been in continuous production for 50 years, Mustang has successfully adapted while retaining its essence.”
The 2013 Mustang features a more prominent shark bite nose and trapezoidal grille
In the 50 Years of Mustang Design DNA feature above, Ford engineers discuss some of the hallmarks integral to the definitive Mustang spirit, such as the fastback profile, the trapezoidal grille, and the hockey stick-shaped side body lines.
Related: 50th Anniversary Ford Mustang Continues to Make History
Be sure to check out the gallery below to see how the Mustang has evolved over the course of 50 years, and check back with us frequently for the latest on the 2015 Ford Mustang as its fall launch date looms closer.
50 Years of Mustang Design DNA
Tri-bar headlamps on the 1963 Ford Mustang II concept 
The shark bite nose and grille on the 1963 Mustang II concept 
The twin-eyebrow panel in a 1965 Mustang 
The fastback profile of a ’65 Mustang
The tri-bar tail lamps of a ’65 Mustang 
Shark bite nose on a 1966 Mustang convertible 
1967 Mustang GT fastback 
twin-eyebrow panel of a ’67 Mustang
Trapezoidal grille of a 68 Shelby GT350 
1970 Ford Mustang coupe 
The “Fox Body” Mustangs took on a hatchback configuration 
Twin-eyebrow panel in a 1994 Mustang convertible
The trapezoidal grille on a 2007 Shelby GT500 
The fifth-generation Mustang reverted to a sleeker fastback and shark-bite front with round headlamps, recalling the first generation models. 
The twin-eyebrow instrument panel in a 2012 Mustang 
2013 Mustang tri-bar tail lamps
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