10 Most Memorable Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars
Pace cars occupy a strange slice of the automotive sphere. Wedged between the race cars they briefly share a track with for a few shining moments each year on the one hand, and the standard street vehicles they are based on the other, it's not always easy to serve two masters.
This is especially true when car companies decide to go the time-honored route of slapping some stickers on the side of a production model and selling it as a pace car special. Over the years there have been some, shall we say, "interesting" choices for pace car glory — some deserved, some not — and while not all have made it to the showroom floor, they're still a part of the Indy 500's long and storied history.
Let's take a look at 10 of the most memorable pace cars to have ever taken to the grid.
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1964 Ford Mustang
The 1964 Ford Mustang was poised to change the auto industry forever, but that hadn't yet been made clear when it was tagged in to serve as the Indy 500 pace car. A trio of official pace cars were built featuring stronger-than-stock V8 engines lifted from the GT40, said to push out 450hp.
An additional 220 Mustangs (the vast majority coupes) were used for support and promotion during the week. It was an auspicious beginning for one of Ford's most important models ever.
