Just hearing the name makes you think of Steve McQueen hurtling through the streets of San Francisco behind the wheel of a GT 390 in Bullit. In motoring terms, the Mustang is one of the true greats: the presence, the look, the performance – and the noise. It drives us wild.

 

From day one, the Mustang had people flocking to the showrooms. Unveiled in Dearborn on April 17, 1964, it was an instant success. And tales of the lengths drivers went to to get one are rife. Legend has it that in Texas, 15 customers wanted a local dealer’s last Mustang. Even he knew that one car divided by fifteen people didn’t go, so he decided to sell it to the highest bidder. We don’t know what it went for, but we do know that the new owner insisted on spending the night in his new pride and joy to make sure it wouldn’t be sold while the firm was waiting for his cheque to clear. I’d have done exactly the same thing.
 

And I don’t think I’m alone out there. Most people I meet express a hankering for a Mustang – there’s just something about it. An X-factor, if you will, that drives men wild – it’s the closest thing we’ve got to Marilyn Monroe on wheels. Sadly, such a strong desire to put a pony on the driveway means that prices are north of £10,000, so few of us can afford one. Luckily, though, there is another way.

 

KING OF THE RODEO  

 

From just £220, you can be king for a day, thanks to Tony and Elaine Merrygold at The Open Road classic car hire. Although they don’t own the car, they hire it out between spring and autumn, which helps the local owner pay for the upkeep of the Mustang. It’s been a popular addition to the Open Road fleet, too, and last year overtook the E-Type as their most hired car. Speaking of Jags, it’s time for CCM Pub Fact No. 1. Designed by Gail Halderman, the Mustang fastback didn’t join the line-up until 1964 – but the idea for it dates back to 1963. In May of that year, the clay model was captured on film along with two inspirational machines: a Studebaker Avanti... and a Jaguar E-Type......