There is a select group of vehicles that are known worldwide. In the list we can include models such as the Toyota Supra, the Volkswagen Golf or the Ford Mustang (know its history). They are cars that, for one reason or another, are famous in any corner of the planet and almost anyone can identify them just by name. However, when you change its commercial name to one of these cars, many are the ones who end up surprised.
For example, the Mustang was not sold under this name in all markets and there is one relatively close to Spain in which, for copyright reasons, it had to be marketed under another name for almost 15 years. This is precisely why the first Ford Mustang had to be called the T-5 in Germany from the mid-1960s until 1979.
The reason why the first Ford Mustang had to be called the T-5 in Germany
When Ford decides to land in the German market of the 1960s with its recently launched pony car, it encounters a commercial problem that prevents it from selling it in the country under its original name. A company called Krupp had registered the rights to the name ‘Mustang’ for its large trucks, so it was impossible for the firm of the blue oval to use this name legally.
TEST: FORD MUSTANG CALIFORNIA SPECIAL
As reported by Carscoops mentioning Mustang Maniac, the Krupp company offered Ford the possibility of using the name ‘Mustang’ in exchange for $ 10,000. However, the American managers declined the proposal and decided to wait almost 15 years until Krupp’s copyright on the name expired. This fact took place in 1979, at which time Ford began to sell the Mustang as Ford Mustang.
And how did you market the pony car during those 15 years in Germany? Easy. Ford executives decided to change its name and baptize the Mustang as T-5. It’s not a random name, as T-5 was Ford’s internal code for the Mustang during its development phase.
The 1965 and 1966 Ford T-5s were built in Dearborn, Michigan, with some mechanical upgrades to make them suitable for Europe. Headlights and indicators with European specifications were included and a reinforcement in the front suspension towers that improved handling. But these were not the only changes that the American Mustang received to be sold in Germany.
German buyers could not find any reference to the name ‘Mustang’ on the cars. Instead, Ford replaced the original name with T-5 logos on the center of the steering wheel, fuel filler flap, front fenders, and on some units, wheel hub caps as well.
