Please remember the VINS do not accurately represent the build dates. They can get you close. The actual build and release date from the Marti report helps more than anything.
Many believe two sequential VINs indicate the cars were next in line to each other in the assembly line. From whagt I have learned while possible, it usually was not the case.
Ray
I've read that in 1973 Mustang shared the same production line as Pinto's and Maverick's. It is believed thats why there is a discrepancy in the VIN's and there not always sequential.
Boss1Ray is correct on the Vin's not being a good indicator of build date. The Vin's were assigned long before the car was actually built. You'll see Marti Reports where the car was built early, on time, or days behind schedule. Factors such as availability of options, power train, supplier problems, and whether it was a stock order or a retail sold unit make a lot of difference when the unit gets built. Supplier problems have a major impact on the assembly line. When the Tsunami hit Japan in 2011 it wiped out a plant that made special metal flake for Ford paints. Dozens of assembly plants were in turmoil when already Vin'd vehicles had to be canceled. A lot of the vehicles were retail sold units with standard and optional colors that had to be changed.
The only time I had ever seen cars come in that had Vin's in sequential order is when the dealer I was at fleet ordered police cars in lots of 50 or more.
The story about the Mustang sharing the production line with the Pinto and Maverick, is just that. The only shared vehicle was the Cougar. The Pinto was built in St Thomas (Ontario), Edison (New Jersey), and San Jose(Milpivas, Ca). The Maverick was built at Kansas City, San Jose, Wayne assembly Mi, St Thomas and Oakville in Canada.
Any actual line sharing with a vehicle that was not on the same platform began in 2005 when Mustang production moved to Flat Rock in Michigan. That's when the line was shared with the Mazda 6. Then the Fusion after Ford dissolved the Ford/Mazda partnership.
