As the automotive industry slowly transitions to zero-emissions motoring, Ford  (F) – Get Free Report CEO Jim Farley has something to brag about when it comes to the automaker he oversees.

Related: Ford reveals some bad news about its electric vehicles

In a statement during Ford Racing’s launch event for the 2024 racing season on Jan. 17, the boss of the Blue Oval noted that 2024 marks an important milestone of one of its most iconic models.

A Ford Mustang Dark Horse sports car is on display during the Auto Guangzhou 2023 in Guangzhou, China. VCG/Getty Images© VCG/Getty Images

“Mustang is going to celebrate its 60th anniversary coming up here,” Farley said. “A lot of our competitors have left. They’ve come and gone. We never did that. We’ve always been there with Mustang.”

Introduced at the New York World’s Fair in April 1964, the iconic Ford Mustang has been the blue oval’s marquee product that has captured the hearts and minds of car enthusiasts. The pony car spawned noble competitors like General Motors’  (GM) – Get Free Report Chevrolet Camaro and Stellantis’  (STLA) – Get Free Report Dodge Challenger, but have exited the market unlike the Mustang.

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Today, the Mustang lives on as a sports car with a wide model range for nearly everyone, including enthusiasts seeking supercar-level performance and speed. Currently, the hottest of the bunch on offer is a $300,000 “GTD” version inspired by the GT3 cars, but Farley insists that the variety is key to its current and future success.

The new Ford Mustang GTD is revealed at the 2023 North American International Detroit Auto Show in Detroit. Bill Pugliano/Getty Images© Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

“Sixty years, and it’s changed over time. We have EcoBoost, we have the Dark Horse now, and we’re going to continue to invest. And if we’re the only one on the planet making a V8 affordable sports car for everyone in the world, so be it.”

Though a V8 gas-guzzling muscle car is less than ideal for today’s zero-emissions focused auto industry, Farley credited his company’s Mustang Mach-E as one of the reasons why the Mustang can live on in its current form, noting that its existence lets Ford “sell ICE vehicles for a long time to come.”

The #64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 of Harry Tincknell, Mike Rockenfeller, and Christopher Mies during the Roar Before The Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. Icon Sportswire/Getty Images© Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

As the Ford CEO kicked off another racing season, he bragged that his Mustangs will see the racetracks of “six different continents on any given weekend” this year, from NASCAR in the states to Australian Supercars and the World Endurance Championship.

“That’s because we have a V8 engine,” Farley said.

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