Ford Mustang under starter’s order

IT has taken a full half century, but British drivers can for the first time order a Ford Mustang – more than 50 years after the muscle car first went into production.

Powered by either a 314PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine or a whopping 5.0-litre V8 unit with 418PS, the new Mustang fastback and convertible models are now up for grabs, priced from £28,995.

Available with six-speed manual or automatic transmission, cars come as standard with the likes of 19-inch wheels, a performance brake package, auto HID xenon headlamps, LED tail lamps and a rear diffuser.

You also get dual-zone climate control, a nine-speaker sound system and SYNC 2 voice control connectivity with an eight-inch colour touchscreen.

Ten exterior colour choices include exclusive Competition Orange and tri-coat Triple Yellow.

Never before has the Mustang gone on sale worldwide and it will be available in more than 100 markets. It is due to arrive in the UK during late autumn.

Ford made the first 500 Mustangs for Europe available to reserve during last season’s UEFA Champions League final and they were snapped up in just 30 seconds.

Now the company has released an online configurator so buyers can spec up their Mustang and review pricing.

At the same time, smartphone and tablet users can see and share how their chosen car could look, using a new reality app that places the Mustang in the setting of their choice.

Available for Apple and Android devices, the app enables customers to first select bodystyle, exterior colour and alloy wheel options.

They can then view the car in their chosen setting in real-time using the camera feature of their mobile device – and users can even hear realistic engine sounds.