Mustang Club of Maryland

Question: What does GT stand for in Mustang "GT"?

Answer: No, it doesn’t stand for good times, but chances are if you own one you’ll probably experience plenty. GT most commonly stands for Grand Touring or Gran Turismo. A vehicle given the GT designation by its manufacturer generally means the vehicle is high performance and, unlike a race car, features an interior built for comfort. More specifically, the Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines GT as “an automobile in the style of a coupe, usually seating two but occasionally four, and designed for comfort and high speed.”

The first Ford Mustang GT dates back to April of 1965. At the time, Ford began to offer 1965 Ford Mustangs with an optional GT equipment package. The package was available for Mustangs featuring the 289 cubic inch V-8 engine. This “special GT package” included GT trim, front disc brakes, auxiliary fog lamps on the grille, and a dual exhaust system with polished tips. It also featured five-dial instrumentation which differed from the standard 1965 Mustang instrumentation, as well as the optional Rally-Pac instrument cluster. Other features included side stripes and unique GT badging. After the 1969 model year, the GT Mustang went into automotive hibernation.

In 1982, after years without a GT model Mustang, Ford brought the GT back and matched it with the 5.0L V-8 powered Mustang. Hence, the GT 5.0 Fox Body Mustangs of the ‘80s and early ‘90s were born.

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Good posting Paul. The GT designation was always used to create a sportier and more luxurious model to serve as the top of the line automobile for a particular model.

Ford used the GT designation on several of their car models including the Mustang. In the mid 60's when the muscle cars were in vogue Ford planted the GT designation of the Fairlane Coupe to compete with the Pontiac GTO, Olds 442, Chevy Chevelles, Plymouth Road Runners, etc. The Ford Fairlane and Mercury Comet GTs and GTAs for those cars equipped with an automatic transmission helped Ford have a presence in the muscle car world.

The GTO was whimsically created to be compared to the mighty Ferrari GTOs which stood for Grand Tourismo Omologoto. No one really took the little Pontiac Tempest as serious competition for the world class Ferrari but that didn't stop Jim Wangers and the ad agency for Pontiac from borrowing this designation.

The Mustang GT, as you clearly stated, was designed to offer a higher level of performance and luxury over the base models of the Mustang by offering special equipment and styling options not available on base models.

The Red Baron
MCOM Treasurer, Historian

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The Red Baron