Can you guess which country has the most ardent fans of the legendary sports car?
German drivers buy the most Mustangs in Europe and the British are close behind. However, Belgians are ultimately the most ardent Mustang fans in all of Europe
In proportion to its population, Belgium has more Ford Mustang owners than any other European country - a fact confirmed by the sales of more than 1,600 new Ford Mustangs
The legendary sports car went on sale across Europe last year for the first time since it was launched in the US, 51 years after its launch. And already over 21,000 new Mustangs have been sold.
It may not be the first country that comes to mind when we think of sports cars, but Belgian drivers seem to have fallen in love with the new Ford Mustang for good.
Of the 21,000-plus new Mustangs Ford has sold across Europe, 1,600 are owned by Belgian drivers. The ratio is one in 4,693 out of 7,659,000 drivers in that country - by far the highest compared to any other European country.
Of these, Germany and Britain are the countries where more than half of all new Mustangs have been sold since the model was launched in Europe last year, for the first time since it was launched in the US in 1964. German drivers bought 7,281 Mustangs (1 in 7,700) and British drivers respectively bought 4,761 Mustangs (1 in 7,743).
France is in third place with 2,126 sales and Belgium in fourth, one of several countries with smaller populations, including Sweden, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, where there is huge demand for last year's globally popular sports coupe.
"The Mustang is a car with a multitude of passionate fans across Europe who have their own clubs and organise numerous Mustang enthusiast meetings," comments Laurent Charpentier, Managing Director of Ford Belgium. "It's a one-of-a-kind sports car, and one that some fans have literally been waiting a lifetime for."
Belgium has made history in the world of fast cars. The famous Circuit de Spa Francorchamps was one of the first circuits to host a Formula 1 race, while Jacky Ickx won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times, once in a Ford GT-40, has 25 podium finishes in F1 and is also a Dakar Rally winner.
Among the biggest fans of the new car is Adelbert Engler, who has built up a collection of 5,500 scale Mustang models at his home in Heusden Zolder, as well as several classic full-size models.
"From interviews, movies and music videos to articles, anniversaries and exhibitions, the Mustang has become an integral part of my life," said Engler, who is looking forward to taking delivery of a Yellow fastback Mustang with a 2.3L EcoBoost engine.
European Mustang buyers can choose from 5.0L V8 and 2.3L EcoBoost engines, and fastback and convertible body styles. Red, gray and black are the most popular colors so far, with 72% buyers opting for the fastback, and 64% buyers choosing the V8 engine. EcoBoost models are most popular in southern Europe.
Since the beginning of the year, compared to last year, Ford performance car sales in Europe have doubled, with models such as the Mustang, but also the Focus RS, Focus ST and Fiesta ST.
