Mustang Motorcycle

In previous posts I have mentioned my
affection for motorcycles all the way back to
my 14th birthday.. In recent times I have been
asked many times "what was your first motor-
cycle?" When I say Mustang I get a blank stare
from the questioner. Most people today see a
Ford pony car when you mention the word
Mustang,...BUT about 50 years ago it was a
great little motorcycle. I went through a couple
of scooters before moving up to a Mustang.
The Mustang was the brainchild of John Gladden.
His plant had built several parts for the government
during World War II. When the war came to an end
he looked for something else to manufacturer. Being
a cycle enthusiast, he thought he could sell a bike
between the scooter and the larger motorcycles. In
1945 the first Mustang motorbike rolled off the
Glendale, California assembly line and it cost $346.50.
It was powered by a 125cc two-cycle single cylinder
Villers engine. The Villers company was in England and
they were having labor problems from the start. In
1947 Gladden began using his own engine design. It
was a 320cc four-cycle single cylinder engine coupled
to a three speed transmission...with the shifter on the
side of the tank. In 1949 a 'highly modified' Mustang
ridden by Tom Beatty showed up at Pomona Drag Strip
and turned the quarter-mile at 90 MPH in the low 12
second bracket. By 1960 Mustang was producing three
models of their product.. the Pony, Bronco, and the
Stallion. It was a great little bike, but like the British bikes
that were the rage during the 50's and 60's, the invasion
of Japanese bikes killed them. Unable to price their bikes
alongside the Honda, Mustang produced it's last bike in
1965. Now days Mustang Clubs are all over the nation and
show up on bikes you would swear are brand new. Companies
have sprouted up to supply a new generation with parts to
rebuild the old bike. The Mustang plant may be gone..but the
bike refuses to die..
Photos: The Red Mustang is a 1956 model owned and refurbished
by Jimmy Hull ... The Black Mustang is a 1960 and is the pride and
joy of Dan Joslin. The ad speaks for itself !!