Led by special edition or high-performance models such as the Bullitt, Shelby GT350, Shelby GT350R, and Shelby GT500, the Mustang managed to sell 80,577 units globally. While this figure is down compared to its 2019 figure of 102,090, it does represent a higher market share increase from 14.8 to 15.1 percent.

Sales of the high-performance Bullitt and Shelby variants were up 52.7 percent in 2020 from a year earlier, according to Ford internal data. And they look to continue that streak with limited-edition models with the Mustang Mach 1 entering the lineup (it has since been announced for several global market, but not the Philippines).

The United States remains the strongest global market for Mustang, representing about three-quarters of total sales. Texas (8,600 vehicles), California (6,200 vehicles), and Florida (5,864 vehicles) remain the top U.S. markets.

Also helping Mustang retain its title as top-selling sports car were increased sales in various European markets. According to Ford internal data, 2020 sales in Hungary were up 68.8 percent over 2019; sales in the Netherlands (38.5 percent), Denmark (12.5 percent), the Czech Republic (5.6 percent) and Austria (4 percent) all increased.

“Mustang enthusiasts love their performance cars, and they showed that yet again,” said Hau Thai-Tang, chief product platform and operations officer, Ford Motor Company. “In a challenging year for the entire auto industry because of the global pandemic, Mustang performed very well, increasing its share in the global sports car segment.”

IHS Markit has a pretty broad definition of sportscars. It defines a sportscar as anything with two or three doors, and having a sporty bent. In exceptional cases, it may also have four or five doors (the Volkswagen Golf GTI, is considered a sportscar, for instance).