Mustang notches up 3000 Aussie orders

Ford's new Mustang has now attracted more than 3000 orders in the lead-up to its December release in Australia, smashing the Blue Oval's own pre-launch forecast.

Meantime, new sales data has revealed 76,124 Mustangs were registered globally in the first half of this year – 56 per cent more than the same period last year.

According to IHS Automotive, that makes the Mustang the world's top-selling sports car so far in 2015.

In the US, Mustang sales were up 70 per cent in August, overtaking the Chevrolet Camaro to become North America's best-selling sports car.

Ford says new buyers are driving US sales growth, especially in regions such as Southern California – the largest sports car market in the country – where Mustang sales have more than doubled this year.

Despite arriving in China for the first time, the Mustang is already one of the top-selling sports cars in the world's most populous nation, with strong sales in Beijing, Guangdong and Shanghai.

First Mustang deliveries are just starting to hit European dealerships and will be followed in November by the release of RHD versions in the UK, where almost 2000 Mustang orders have been taken since January.

European customers filled the pre-order list in minutes when Ford opened the book for 500 Mustangs during the 2014 UEFA Champions League finals last year.

As in Australia, where the order book opened in March and pre-orders surpassed the 2000 mark in May, extra UK supplies have been secured to meet the greater than expected demand.

Nevertheless, with this year's first shipment spoken for, Ford Australia is now selling well into the second shipment due next year and the local Mustang waiting list is likely to stretch well into 2017 by the time the car arrives here late this year.

In Europe, the most popular Mustang colours are Magnetic Grey and Race Red, while the latter is in the biggest demand in China, followed by Black, which takes the top spot in both the US and the Middle East.

"Initial global response to the Mustang has been strong, and we are only in second gear," said Stephen Odell, Ford's executive vice president of Global Marketing, Sales and Service.

"We continue accelerating production and global reach with right-hand-drive models now coming out of the plant."

The news follows the start of right-hand drive production of the sixth-generation Mustang at Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan last week.

This year will be the first time in its 50-year history that the iconic Ford muscle car is available to customers around the world, including in more than 100 markets.

Of those, more than 25 are new RHD markets, including Australia, New Zealand, the UK, South Africa, Japan, Cyprus, Malta and a number of Caribbean islands.

Priced from $44,990, the new Mustang will be available in Australia in Fastback and Convertible forms, powered by 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbo-petrol four-cylinder and 5.0-litre V8 engines.