In 1947, U.S. Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in a Bell X-1 aircraft, officially becoming the first pilot to exceed Mach 1 on a level flight path. In 1969, Ford paid homage to this extreme feat of speed with a new high-performance option package dubbed the Mustang Mach 1. The Mach 1 would prove to be a formidable rival to the Chevy Camaro SS and Pontiac Trans Am, and worthy of its striking name.