Hal Sperlich, often hailed as the "godfather of the Ford Mustang," was a visionary product planner at Ford who played a pivotal role in conceiving and championing the idea of a sporty, affordable car for younger buyers—what would become the Mustang. Working closely with Lee Iacocca, Sperlich recognized the emerging youth market and pushed for a stylish, performance-oriented vehicle built on the compact Falcon platform, combining low cost with high emotional appeal. His ability to translate consumer trends into product strategy helped birth the Mustang in 1964, igniting a new segment of American cars—the pony car—and forever changing automotive history.