PonyFans.com

Finally, here is the proof. Not than pony fans though otherwise. But some web sites question the SMU folklore.

http://books.google.com/books?id=bANS-a ... &q&f=false

How cool would it be if that Fry Mustang, the first off the assembly line, still existed? Be cool to buy it and put it in Heritage Hall!

Though I love the legend, the fact is that the Mustang automobile was named for the World War II era P-38 Mustang. Fry's claim makes a good story but it's just not so.

Rayburn wrote:Though I love the legend, the fact is that the Mustang automobile was named for the World War II era P-38 Mustang. Fry's claim makes a good story but it's just not so.

where is your proof?

Rayburn wrote:Though I love the legend, the fact is that the Mustang automobile was named for the World War II era P-38 Mustang. Fry's claim makes a good story but it's just not so.

"If you see it in The Sun, it's so."

Rayburn wrote:Though I love the legend, the fact is that the Mustang automobile was named for the World War II era P-38 Mustang. Fry's claim makes a good story but it's just not so.

not to nit pick, but you mean the P 51 mustang. My uncle flew a P 38 Lightning.

Treadway21 wrote:

Rayburn wrote:Though I love the legend, the fact is that the Mustang automobile was named for the World War II era P-38 Mustang. Fry's claim makes a good story but it's just not so.

not to nit pick, but you mean the P 51 mustang. My uncle flew a P 38 Lightning.

That's not nitpicking.

I'll happily backtrack on this a bit.

Every book I've read on the Mustang automobile says it was named for the P-51 Mustang. One of the chief designers of the Mustang was John Najjar who named it for the P-51 which he thought was a well-designed machine. A Ford market research manager named Robert Eggert supported using the name in Ford's focus group testing.

However, Lee Iacocca said in his autobiography that he watched the Sept. 1963 SMU-Michigan game and liked the way the plucky, undersized Pony team fought. According to all sources he went into the Mustang dressing room and addressed the team saying, "Today, after watching the SMU Mustangs play with such flair, we reached a decision. We will call our new car the Mustang. Because it will be light, like your team. It will be quick, like your team. And it will be sporty, like your team."

So, the story is partially correct. Ford had already decided to go with the name Mustang for the P-51, but the SMU football team pushed the name over with Iacocca.

Thanks - that sounds very plausible. I still like the old style mustangs such as the ones in your avatar.

So, the story is partially correct. Ford had already decided to go with the name Mustang for the P-51, but the SMU football team pushed the name over with Iacocca.

That was the key - pushing it over the edge to make the decision to go with 'Mustang' in lieu of all others.

In fact, there were several names on the board including 'cougar' which we all know was used for the Mercury Cougar a couple of years later. Boy - I'm dating myself.

Hey Rayburn - where did you get your new avatar? I've seen that pony somewhere before???

NavyCrimson wrote:Hey Rayburn - where did you get your new avatar? I've seen that pony somewhere before???

I took it off a big photo of a 1965 SMU-Texas ticket stub, vectorized it and recolored it.

Here's the original:

Brilliant! Those were the days.

I'd wear that as an alt logo

They have hats with that logo:

http://shop.smumustangs.com/COLLEGE_SMU ... rd_Crimson

http://shop.smumustangs.com/COLLEGE_SMU ... Royal_Blue