Another long rivalry between Ford and Chevy! This debate goes back about half a century and I'm guessing it will go for another half a century. The story goes back a bit before the two were even made. It all starts with the creation of the first muscle car, the Pontiac GTO. After the success of the GTO other American manufacturers thought they would start placing large engines in small cars. And what a great idea!
The Mustang
In the 1960s Ford was selling lots of Falcons. The only problem was that the Falcon was boring. So the Mustang was born. Created by a guy named Lee Iacocca, the Mustang sold over 1 million units in the first 22 months. A huge accomplishment for Ford. As the Mustang progressed it got cooler, faster and better while always staying true to its American heritage. The 60s were a mustang era, it was the car to drive at the time. The 70s gave us some other cool varieties of the Mustang with a lot more horse power. The 80s brought the fox body that everybody loves to drag race along with its 5.0 engine. In the 90s mustang tried to become a bit more modern and it did a fairly good job until the early 2000s. The early 2000s were a bit tough but they made a great comeback with the retro looking 2005 model. And the latest model has gone a bit European in the design. Such a great looking car.
The Camaro
The Camaro was a response to the Mustang. Always trying to compete and be better than the original Pony Car. In many ways it is better. The first one was out in 1967 and the design was gorgeous. Bigger engine than the mustang made it a bit more geared towards the speed seeking enthusiast. The Camaro always wanted to give its fans more horsepower. They are great for the drag strip as well as a highway drive between the great states of America. The current model is a full out beast. There are versions that make over 700 horsepower. Some might even say it's a better bargain than the Corvette (not me though).
The Verdict
I will split this in a few parts. From the early years I will have to go with the Camaro. It is just so sleek looking and makes me feel like I was a young man in that era. Anything up until the late 80s is just better looking than the Mustang.
From the late 80s until 1998 I would pick the Mustang. The fox body is a classic. Small car, huge engine... what more do you want from a Pony car? The "modernized design of 94-98 was also just a bit better looking than the Camaro.
From 1998 until the early 2000s I have NO WINNER. Just go buy something else. Both are ugly and slow. The Camaro has the 5.7 which is cool but it was still just ugly and bad. The mustang had a couple of varieties like the Cobra that were pretty cool but it was just old looking and the 4.6 engine is horrible, the new 2.3 makes more horsepower than the 4.6... embarrassing.
From the last couple generations it's also a split. The 2010 - 2015 Camaro wins for me, while the new model Mustang is truly amazing. Awesome looks and the coyote engine will have to take the win for the better of the two.