2015 Ford Mustang will perch atop Empire State Building

Ford is celebrating the Mustang's 50th anniversary in style. In addition to the cross-country tour and sporadic events across the world, Ford will repeat what it did to introduce the Mustang convertible 50 years ago, setting it on top of the Empire State Building during the New York auto show.

So, you might guess Ford would use one of those super cranes to get the car up there, but even the best portable units can only go up 50 stories or so; the observation deck at the Empire State Building is on the 86th floor. You're second guess is probably a helicopter, but you'd be wrong there too. The building has narrow deck, making that impossible. The only way to go is up the elevators.

Of course, since the building was built in 1931, the elevators aren't equipped to handle a modern car. When it accomplished the feat with a 1965 prototype convertible, Ford chopped the car into three main sections. This one, we're semi-sad to say, will go up the same way.

“Like all good craftsmen, our team is measuring twice and cutting once to make sure we can get this Mustang up in the elevators,” said Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer. “Like the team that did this in 1965, the current crew visited the Empire State Building before starting and took careful measurements of its new elevators and doors before cutting up the car.”

Check out the new Mustang by the numbers here, and come back during the New York auto show for what promises to be an epic set of pictures. In color this time.

Visitors to the Empire State Building observation deck will be able to see the new Mustang convertible from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., April 16-17.

By Jake Lingeman