LOS ANGELES – Mustang’s 60th Anniversary in 2025 was big news. After six decades of history, America’s first and original pony/muscle/sports/race car to date remains the “last man standing” among a genre that used to include nameplates like Camaro, Barracuda, Challenger, Javelin, Cougar, Firebird, and a few others not worth mentioning. With lots of Mustang news on the burner for 2025-26 and beyond, Ford wanted to do something intensely marketing driven and historically of interest to follow the 60th, and further demonstrate how much this storied nameplate still has going for it.
A quiet, in-any-way-conventional museum exhibit or car show just wouldn’t cut it for this true Ford Original. So, a considerable amount of mental capital and creative talent went into divining something appropriate, historically significant, visually dazzling, and just pure great fun. It became the Mustang Immersive Experience, a walk-through sound-and-sight presentation that floods (most of) your senses with the true “ness” of what Mustang is and means.
As of our visit, it was assembled and staged in a large, low-lying warehouse type building and associated parking area near Downtown Los Angeles, opening to the public, and running through the end of January 2026. It is further set to visit and make appearances in Miami, and Dallas. And perhaps other locales if demand permits.
The entire activation is divided into seven thematic spaces (not including a very cool “welcome/waiting” room, and believe us, it’s better than the one at your dentist’s office, plus the obligatory merch shop, which has an impressively comprehensive line of clothing and other items dedicated strictly to Immersive). And you don’t just walk through an average hardware store closet door to pass into and between the seven Immersive spaces (rooms, or galleries); walls move, openings open, and it’s all a very dramatic welcome. The spaces are themed Design, History, Cultural Significance, Road Trip, Movie Cars, GTD, and the Thrill Ride theater.
Much of the story is told, or punctuated by, names, faces and voices pertinent to Mustang, and that you’ll know and remember. They include Executive Board Chairman Bill Ford, the incomparable Carroll Shelby, Ford archivist Ted Ryan, film producer Jerry Bruckheimer and everybody’s favorite Car Guy, Jay Leno. But this is no mere talking-head show, as the interview commentary and video are neatly stitched among the largely non-stop action, video and illustrations.
We won’t spoil all the candy, but one nugget worth mentioning is a brief illustrated run through of the roster of clay mockup and concept cars that were put up for design review consideration by Ford execs. Some of the designs are pretty cool, but nothing like what we think of as a Mustang; a few also are just a little strange. The one that the Ford Management team settled on was an earlier concept that was previously put aside (or rejected depending upon how you look at it) called “Cougar” with no particular indication at that stage if it was being considered as a Ford or Mercury model.
The street-level recreation of the Mustang’s global introduction at the 1964 New York World’s Fair is also visually interesting and historically compelling. Virtually missing from the entire Experience are the Mach E and the 1974-1978 Mustang II – which smacks of a bit of revisionist history to us.
Plus, with all the sight, sound, color and motion, there are a lot of actual cars on display too – some of them the rarest of the rare, and others just nice examples of familiar production models. There are lots of parts and component displays to enjoy, and plenty of racing hardware to drool over. Not to mention a display of 35mm negative proof sheets from the production of Bullitt in 1968, by official set photographer Barry Feinstein and licensed to Ford by Sean Kiernan (whose family owned the star car from the 1970s until its $3.74-million sale at auction in 2020). These official “production stills” contact sheets have never been seen by the public until now.
Overall, the video and graphics are well produced and generally authentic, except for the few instances where the artists took some license in terms of locations or scenery, but “where this mountain is” or “where that building or bridge is or isn’t” doesn’t negatively impact the experience. Just soak it in and enjoy the ride.
The Experience ends with the proverbial bang, in the Thrill Ride theater. If you’ve ever ridden Star Tours at Disneyland, you’ll recognize the concept. You sit in a powered seat that leans and tilts along with the video to make you feel as if you’re in a GTD as it races through a dystopian city. Fans blow air at you to make it feel like you’re actually moving, smoke wafts from the floor when you burn out, and water spritzes you in the face when you go through a puddle.
The story itself, well presented by Captain America and 8 Mile actor and Mustang enthusiast Anthony Mackie; Mackie is a perfect host for this event – he’s young, handsome, well spoken, and has legit acting chops. The only downside about this experience is that the Thrill Ride is an extra-cost ticket, over and above the (worth it) $34 gen admin.
And save your ticket – it’s worth a $500 discount on a new Ford, Mustang or otherwise. All-in, the Mustang Immersive Experience is a well-executed and highly worthwhile endeavor if you can make it to one of the installations. It’ll reinforce what you know about Mustang, fill in blanks on some things you don’t, and remind everyone who attends what a significant element Mustang is in the pantheon of automotive history. Plus . . . well, it’s great fun.
American Icon: Mustang Immersive Experience in Los Angeles
