Welcome to UnbridledMustangBook.com! Please scroll down to read reviews, synopses of each generation’s coverage, and hear author Robert M. Kennedy read exclusive excerpts from all eight of UNBRIDLED’s chapters.
up next: ohio! unbridled book tour honors original mustang designer gale halderman at halderman barn museum before cantering to krieger ford
Since the Unbridled Book Tour kicked off in Indianapolis on July 28, 2023 (and cantered through Ford World Headquarters, the Sturgis Mustang Rally, Holley Ford Festival, and several other Mustang events across the U.S.A.), UNBRIDLED has sold over 1,000 copies! Please join us to see some amazing Mustangs, meet Robert, and claim your copy of this incredible book at any of the following 2024 Unbridled Book Tour events:
Ponies in the Smokies: March 22-23 @ Sevierville Convention Center - Sevierville, TN (COMPLETED)
Mustang 60th Anniversary: April 5-7 @ Barber Motorsports Park - Birmingham, AL (COMPLETED)
River City Mustang Car Club: Apr 17 @ DJ’s Dugout Sports Bar - Omaha, NE (COMPLETED)
Ford Enthusiast Nationals & Shelbyfest 2024: May 4 @ Jefferson City, MO (COMPLETED)
Halderman Barn Museum: May 18 @ Halderman Barn Museum - Tipp City, OH (Up Next)
2024 Krieger Ford All Ford Show/Extravaganza: May 19 @ Krieger Ford - Columbus, OH (Up Next)
Carlisle Ford Nationals: May 31-June 2 @ Carlisle, PA Fairgrounds - Carlisle, PA
Team Shelby Northern Plains Nationals: July 12-14 @ I-29 Speedway - Mills County, IA
Mustangs at the Crossroads: August 9-11 @ MCA National Show - Des Moines, IA
Mustang Memories/Mustang II Reunion IX: August 18 @ Ford World Headquarters - Dearborn, MI
Mustangs at the Island: August 23-25 @ Treasure Island Casino - Welch, MN
Midwest Fox Fest: August 31 @ Midwest Foxbody Group - Omaha, NE
43rd Annual All Makes Car & Truck Show: September 8 @ Southeast Community College - Lincoln, NE
44th Annual Mustang Car Show: September 22 @ Mustang Car Club of Omaha - Omaha, NE
Also, check out our ad in Mustang Times magazine. And don’t forget to follow @unbridled_author on Instagram and the @unbridledbook page on Facebook.
“Robert M. Kennedy has raised the bar for automotive journalism with this very compelling and absolutely fascinating book on one of the most important cars of all time - the legendary Ford Mustang!”
“In this UNBRIDLED book, Robert M. Kennedy weaves the waves of national and global change into his Mustang historical narrative. To an aging baby boomer like me, Robert brings a fresh perspective and “youthful” enthusiasm to a car that has always been about the fun and joy of youth.”
“Robert M. Kennedy’s dogged research and ability to uncover truths that have been vetted with Mustang notables gives UNBRIDLED some eye-opening viewpoints that may leave fans re-thinking what they thought they knew about Ford’s steel steed. And that’s precisely why UNBRIDLED will hold a special spot in my Mustang bookcase.”
“Reading UNBRIDLED was an emotional experience for me. It deepened my connection to the Mustang, evoking a sense of appreciation and admiration for the legacy that surrounds it. It made me laugh, it made me reflect, and it further fueled my passion for this iconic car. UNBRIDLED is a masterfully written book that celebrates the history, significance, and enduring allure of the Ford Mustang. Robert M. Kennedy’s storytelling prowess and his ability to provide fresh insights make this book a captivating and informative read. Whether you’re a lifelong Mustang enthusiast or simply fascinated by automotive history, UNBRIDLED deserves a spot on your bookshelf.”
“You gotta love a guy who packages his passion project in book form. Robert M. Kennedy is a Mustang guy (like many) and he’s done something that’s rare in this “print is dead” world. Robert examines the history of Ford’s filly, even going back to ol’ Henry’s Quadricycle and moving to the present with the Dark Horse. In between, Robert examines the internalities and externalities that have affected Mustang production including design, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, politics, and economics.
Yup, this ain’t your typical ‘stang book - it’s a unique perspective that goes beyond the Mustang and moves into something even bigger: American history!”
“This 370-plus page book is beautifully done... The covers of this hardbound book are handmade, with the inside cover sheets textured to mimic a well-worn bucket seat - a nice idea that brings the feel and emotion of a Mustang home... UNBRIDLED is a Mustang. It’s an exciting, interesting, detailed, photograph-heavy, and informative book on the Mustang - BTW, I need to brush my hair back in place after this virtual drive!”
“We’re thrilled to welcome author Robert M. Kennedy to the Ford Nationals this June! His new book, “UNBRIDLED: The Passion, Performance & Politics Behind America’s Favorite Pony Car” is a treasure trove of never-before-seen photos and fascinating insights. Discover the inspiration, development, and the thrilling variants of Mustangs by Ford, Shelby, Saleen, Roush, Steeda, and RTR that have captivated enthusiasts worldwide. From the racetrack triumphs to the societal impacts, Robert’s 400-page masterpiece covers it all!”
“Our Steeda library boasts a big collection of Mustang books, and this one stands out as a top pick. Dive into insightful quotes from Dario Orlando, founder of Steeda, and discover mentions of iconic Steeda vehicles like the Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt Mustang, our Steeda Special Service Vehicles, and many others. From the original Mustang concept car to present day Mustangs, this book has it all!”
UNBRIDLED: The Passion, Performance & Politics Behind America’s Favorite Pony Car examines the lineage of Ford’s famed filly from Henry Ford’s Quadricycle through the new Dark Horse. It delves deep into the internal and external economics and politics that have affected Mustang. It chronicles the design, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing of regular and limited-production models. And it highlights the marque’s most memorable racing exploits.
UNBRIDLED is told from a completely unique perspective that is both familiar - yet captivatingly controversial. Boasting an incredible array of never-before-published photos of stock and modified Mustangs provided by owners from Canada, Mexico, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Australia, Switzerland, Japan, the Netherlands, and all across these great United States of America; UNBRIDLED is more than “just another car book.” It’s an American history book in which Mustang is an ever-evolving character.
- Robert M. Kennedy, author
Beginning with Henry Ford’s Quadricycle and his first failed companies, GESTATION chronicles the world-changing success of Model T, WWI, the global pandemic of 1918, Model A and the Great Depression, WWII, the ‘49 Ford, Thunderbird, and the creation of Roy Lunn’s original Mustang I concept car. This opening chapter of UNBRIDLED tells the amazing story of FoMoCo’s transformation from cash-strapped start-up into the manufacturing behemoth that will soon defeat Ferrari at Le Mans - and produce a new “youth market car” that will transcend its existence as a mere niche automobile, and go down in history as one of the most successful product offerings of all time.
(VERY) SPECIAL FALCON details how Lee Iacocca successfully lobbied Henry Ford II to greenlight Hal Sperlich’s idea, and how Gale Halderman’s front-engine “Cougar” proposal was rebadged with the name of a two-year-old mid-engine concept car and a two-decade-old fighter plane. It explains the bad blood and hyper-competitive environment that fueled a high-octane war on the streets of Detroit, and blurred the segment line that (only briefly) separated GTO’s muscle car market and Mustang’s pony car class. Its “Special Editions & Racing” sub-chapter celebrates how a chicken farmer from Texas used snake venom to transform a mule into a racehorse. And it reflects on how and why (60 years later) this trendsetting automobile remains revered as a symbol of youth, optimism, rebellion, freedom - and America itself.
THE RIGHT CAR AT THE RIGHT TIME sheds an entirely new light on the true story of how Ford’s decision to downsize the Mustang for 1974 resulted in a Motor Trend ‘Car of the Year’ award and its best sales since 1967 - even as enthusiasts cried “blasphemy!” This third chapter dispels decades of rumors and half-truths regarding the pint-size pony car’s relationship with the ill-fated Pinto. It details not only how the Federal Government impacted the look and performance of these cars - but also how politicians in Washington managed to cut short the lifecycle of these commercially successful (yet controversial) mini-stangs. It explains why these misunderstood mares have recently been acknowledged by Hagerty as the fastest-appreciating Mustangs on the market and how, without them, we’d likely never have enjoyed the opportunity to slip behind the wheel of any SVO, SVT, or Dark Horse.
THE FOX details the incredible story of how and why the Blue Oval abandoned the grille pony, tri-bar taillamps, and virtually all other design cues that had previously defined Mustang - and produced a vehicle that more closely resembled the wedge-shaped sports cars of Europe. It lays out, in great detail, how and why engineers tried to replace Mustang’s V8 heartbeat with turbocharged four-cylinders as eight-cylinder performance hit rock bottom; how the marque survived a well-intentioned (but completely misguided) attempt to apply its name to a front-wheel-drive Japanese chassis; and how (having been forced into production longer than expected) the refreshed 5.0-powered Mustang LX, GT, and Cobra ultimately came to be regarded as modern classics.
IT IS WHAT IT WAS AND MORE tells the tale of one of the most unlikely comebacks in history. This fifth chapter recounts the parallels between Lee Iacocca’s Fairlane Committee and John Coletti’s Skunkworks, how a member of the Muccioli family helped save Mustang for the second time in two decades, and how Bud Magaldi managed to breathe new life into Mustang’s 30-year-old styling cues using Jack Telnack’s 15-year-old Fox platform. It discusses how the California Air Resources Board prompted Ford to put its long-lived small-block out to pasture, how 2001’s Bullitt GT resuscitated the Mach 1, and how (even as its new 4.6L V8s struggled to keep pace with GM’s 5.7L mills on the street) Roush, Saleen, Steeda, and Ford’s own Cobra R Mustangs dominated road courses - while John Force saddled up and raced Mustang to a record-breaking winning streak in NHRA drag racing.
RETRO REBOOT celebrates the blending of vintage style and modern engineering as, after a quarter-century of Fox-platform production, Ford unveiled its first totally new Mustang since 1979. Tracing the S197’s development and production from J Mays’ “Retro-futurism” design and Art Hyde’s planned independent suspension, through Hau Thai-Tang overseeing the car’s launch with a solid axle, and its reincorporation of larger displacement engines and long-dormant nameplates like GT350, GT500, Boss 302, and even the California and Twister Specials - as old rivals returned and fired shots in a new horsepower war! And finally, its “Old Horse, New Tricks” sub-chapter introduces new names like Vaughn Gittin Jr and Ken Block to the ever-growing list of iconic names associated with Mustang’s on-going success.
GLOBAL DOMINATION examines the overwhelming success of Alan Mulally’s “One Ford” doctrine as Dave Pericak’s team opened Mustang’s North American corral and allowed it to run freely across the globe, outselling Porsche’s 911 on its home turf in Germany, and becoming the best-selling sports coupe in the world year, after year, after year. This seventh chapter breaks down how independent suspensions and EcoBoost powerplants elevated this award-winning steed’s temperament from resembling a rowdy colt to that of a well-trained Lipizzaner Stallion. And it laments how flat-plane “Voodoo” and supercharged “Predator” engines backed-up the “Coyote,” propelling Ford’s sixth-generation pony car to previously unimaginable levels of performance - only to have its sales hit a wall as the COVID-19 pandemic crippled supply chains and brought the industry to its knees.
Finally, GALLOPING INTO AN ELECTRIFIED FUTURE takes a fair and open-minded approach to assessing the situation in which Ford’s sixty-year-old quarter horse now finds itself. Weighing how C.A.R.B. and the United Nations are leading the charge toward full electrification of the automotive industry, against the push-back from traditional Mustang enthusiasts over the new Mach-E (even as it earned high praise, multiple awards, and strong sales), this final chapter applauds Ed Krenz and Team Mustang for their efforts in developing what promises to be the best Mustang ever produced. And, having analyzed Mustang’s past, UNBRIDLED’s epilogue makes its case for how Mustang can not only survive - but thrive - as it gallops into an electrified future!
About the Author:
Robert M. Kennedy is a graduate of Wyoming Technical Institute, a former Porsche Premier Technician, a contributing writer for Ford Performance, and a member of both the Mustang Car Club of Omaha and the Mustang Club of America. Kennedy, who co-sponsors and coordinates Ford Performance’s annual Mustang II National Reunions has previously produced a “zero-budget” documentary, Adapt or Die: The Mustang II Story, and has owned 10 Mustangs since acquiring his first Fox-body in 1997. Ranging from base models to V8-powered resto-mods and an ultra-rare Classic II convertible (MCA Gold Award winner), Kennedy’s Mustangs have been featured in Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords, Mustang Monthly, Stang Magazine, and Mustang Times. Intent on penning the definitive account of Mustang’s illustrious history from a genuinely unique and interesting perspective, and complimenting that story with as many high-quality owner-sourced images as possible, Kennedy (whose insights have also been featured on the Mustang Owner’s Podcast, in Open Road magazine, and at the Motorcar Cavalcade Concours d’Elegance) has gone to extraordinary lengths to independently publish UNBRIDLED on behalf of all those “Mustangers” around the world who love their prized thoroughbreds and yearn to learn more about their legacy.