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Ford Mustang celebrates 50 years with the Empire State Building

28 Mar 2014|2,553 views

On April 16 and 17, Ford is celebrating 50 years of continuous production by bringing the all new Mustang convertible to the Empire State Building's 86th floor.

In 1965, a prototype Mustang convertible was sliced into three main sections plus windshield so that the sections would fit into the elevators of the Empire State Building

"New York is one of the greatest cities in the world, and it's the place where the Ford Mustang story began 50 years ago," said Mark Fields, Ford Chief Operating Officer.

Taking a car 86 stories above the densely populated streets of Midtown Manhattan is no simple task. No portable crane can reach the 86^th floor observatory, and the spire towering above the relatively narrow deck makes helicopter delivery impossible. That leaves the elevators as the only viable option.

The new Mustang is nearly 180mm longer and 100mm wider than its ancestor, making the task of transporting it up even more challenging.

Working from computer engineering data, team members preparing the display car have found just the right places to cut the car at the right places so everything can be loaded onto custom made racks that can be rolled into the elevators.

Once everything is transported up 86 floors, the technicians will have less than six hours to reassemble the sections into a complete car that will be on display above Manhattan.

Also beginning on April 16, enthusiasts representing 16 countries will gather in the United States to celebrate 50 years of the Ford Mustang. The official international celebration will be so large that Ford Motor Company and the Mustang Club of America (MCA) will simultaneously hold it at two locations from April 16 to 20. It is open to everyone, not just Mustang owners and MCA members.

Two of the world's most recognisable icons are coming together April 16 and 17 as the all new Ford Mustang will be on display on the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York. The display - replicating the same feat from nearly 50 years ago - coincides with the global celebration of 50 years since Mustang debuted at the 1964 World's Fair in New York.

"New York is one of the greatest cities in the world, and it's the place where the Ford Mustang story began 50 years ago," said Mark Fields, Ford Chief Operating Officer.

Taking a car 86 stories above the densely populated streets of Midtown Manhattan is no simple task. No portable crane can reach the 86^th floor observatory, and the spire towering above the relatively narrow deck makes helicopter delivery impossible. That leaves the elevators as the only viable option.

The new Mustang is nearly 180mm longer and 100mm wider than its ancestor, making the task of transporting it up even more challenging.

Working from computer engineering data, team members preparing the display car have found just the right places to cut the car at the right places so everything can be loaded onto custom made racks that can be rolled into the elevators.

Once everything is transported up 86 floors, the technicians will have less than six hours to reassemble the sections into a complete car that will be on display above Manhattan.

Also beginning on April 16, enthusiasts representing 16 countries will gather in the United States to celebrate 50 years of the Ford Mustang. The official international celebration will be so large that Ford Motor Company and the Mustang Club of America (MCA) will simultaneously hold it at two locations from April 16 to 20. It is open to everyone, not just Mustang owners and MCA members.