Can You Guess the Mustang Year from an Image?

By: Robin Tyler
Image: WikiCommons via Alexandre Prévot

About This Quiz

The original 'Pony car,' the legendary Ford Mustang has been going strong for more than half a century. Can you guess the model year when you see one? Good luck!

Mustangs are considered by many to be the most iconic American cars around. That's not saying that Dodge, Pontiac, Chevrolet or Plymouth haven't produced some incredible cars in the category. It's just that when people say 'Pony car' (and sometimes even 'muscle car'), the first image that springs to mind is that of the 'Stang.

Today, the motoring (and the motorhead) public appears to love the Mustang just as much as when it was first introduced, with the 1965 model smashing sales figures well beyond Ford's wildest expectations. In fact, the demand was so high that Ford struggled to keep up.

Even though the Mustang started life on the front foot (or is that the front wheel?), it's not all been roses for the legendary car. The second generation was not as well liked as the first, simply as it was underpowered. Technically, this was not Ford's fault, the second generation just came along at the wrong time - the oil crisis in the Middle East was on in full swing. That means that gas-loving V8 monsters were put aside for more fuel-efficient models.

So now the question is, could you identify the year of a Mustang model by simply looking at an image of it?  Let's test your knowledge of a quintessential American muscle car!

Arguably the most iconic muscle car ever, the Mustang was first released in 1965. It proved to be one of the most popular debuts ever and within a year, 400,000 units had been sold, which quadrupled Ford’s sale estimates.

The Mustang Challenger Special was only available to Ford dealers in Mississippi. It aimed to allow owners to get more power out of their 'Stangs for an affordable price.

The Ford Mustang Boss 429 was a high-performance version of the vehicle, released in 1969 and built through 1970. It is commonly called the 'Boss 9.'

Released in 1970, the Mach 1 was powered by a 5.7-liter V8 engine which produced just over 300 brake horsepower.

Bee baaw! Bee Baaw! The Ford Mustang SSP was actually designed for use by police departments around the United States. It first entered service in 1982.

The 1973 was the last year Ford created their high luxury and power Mustangs. The oil crisis forced Ford to produce cars that were built for the current market.

The Mustang SVO was produced between 1984 and 1986. This 3-door liftback was powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine.

A real beauty, this was one of the first Mustangs to include fastback styling.

A limited-edition Mustang, the GT California Special saw 4,118 units released and marketed in California only.

First marketed in 2011, the RTR Mustang is a special vehicle with a range of dealer added items, including tires, stickers, mats, shifter knob and many others.

Powered by a 7.0-liter engine, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT-500 Fastback produced 355 brake horsepower along with 420 lb-ft of torque. Who wouldn't want one of these?

Often called the rarest Mustang ever made, the McLaren M81 was the first car released under Ford's Special Vehicle Operations.

A select few Mustangs from 1966 were released 6 months before Ford's usual release date, as part of a successful marketing scheme.

Another Mustang experiment, many of these Mach I design concepts were used in the Mach models available to the public starting in the late '60s and early '70s, in addition to many other Mustang models for years to come.

This special edition Mustang, of which only one was built is based on a Mustang GT. It was modified and sold at auction to raise funds for the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh youth education program and was styled to look like an SR-71 Blackbird aircraft.

Released in 2004 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first-ever Mustang model made available to the public, the 40th Anniversary edition had certain visual cues and parts setting it apart from other models.

Looking nothing like the first-ever Mustang model, the Mustang 1 concept car was first devised in 1962.

Tuned up by Roush, the Warrior Mustang is only for sale to U.S. Armed Forces personnel.

A concept car designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro, this model is based on the fifth generation Mustang. It debuted at the 2005 LA Motor Show.

In 2015, Ford released the sixth generation of the Mustang with a more modern look. And it sure is beautiful.

Got $60,000 lying around? Then you can own a modern Shelby Mustang. This Mustang is powered by a 5.2-liter V8 Ford engine that propels it to 60mph in just 3.7 seconds.

Only brought back for two modern models in 2012 and 2013, the Boss not only was straight in a fast line but could handle the corners as well, something for which muscle cars were not known.

The Mustang SVT Cobra, released in 2000, had a 4.6-liter V8 that produced 320 horsepower.

The Mustang received a style refresh in 1987 and retained both coupe and fastback versions.

The Ford Mustang FR 500 concept was first released in 1999. With a top speed of 281 mph, it led to a full-blown racing model.

The Cobra II model of the second generation Mustang introduced a number of bigger engine options, so missing from that generation. These included V6s and V8s.

Some might wish that Ford had discontinued the Mustang instead of producing these decidedly chunky, '80s-looking models during the third generation. After one more year, Ford abandoned the quad headlights.

Were you paying attention to the clue about quad headlights in the last question? If so, congrats — you probably got this right!

With a big 5.0-liter V8, 2011's GT produced 412 brake horsepower.

The fourth-generation Mustangs had a major redesign. It was the first one in 15 years and introduced in 1994.

The AV8R, a special edition Mustang, of which only one was built is based on a 2009 Mustang GT. It was modified and sold at auction to raise funds for the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh youth education program.

A fresh, new style greeted Mustang lovers in 1969 with the release of the Mustang Boss 302.

This concept car was shown to the public at the North American International Auto Show in 2005. The Shelby GR-1 is powered by a 6.4-liter V10 motor.

This 1965 Mustang, the T-5, was produced in the United States and put on sale in Germany specifically for U.S. servicemen. The Mustang name could not be used as this already belonged to a truck model in the country.

It didn't take long for Ford to release the third generation but this time, the car was smaller while staying with a coupe-based shape.

With Carroll Shelby on board, this Mustang model, the GT350, was released in 1965 and featured a number of performance mods and a tuned-up engine.

One of the concept designs used by Ford even before the original Mustang was released, the Avanti fell by the wayside.

This special edition Mustang, of which only one was built, is based on a Mustang GT. It was modified and sold at auction to raise funds for the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh youth education program. It is modeled on the North American P-51 Mustang, a fighter from World War II

The first of the second generation of Mustangs, this vehicle came out in 1974.

A 50th anniversary celebration of the film, "Bullitt," sees Ford release the 2019 Mustang Bullitt. It is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 480 brake horsepower and is available only in black or highland green (like the original car).

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