It Was Almost The Cougar
The Mustang was almost named something else entirely, and that was the Cougar. If that nameplate seems familiar it’s because the Mercury variant of the Mustang used that nameplate. The Cougar ended up being a luxury car toward the end of its lifespan, whereas the Mustang stuck to its pony car roots. We’re not sure if the Cougar name would’ve caught on as well as the Mustang did.
The Mustang brand name is something that has become a life of its own with Mustang enthusiast clubs all over the world. There has always been a community around the Mustang that the Camaro just couldn’t compete with. Mustang owners love their cars and a different nameplate probably wouldn’t have worked as well.