One of the most popular sports cars in America is now also one of the safest as evidenced in the results of the latest independent crash safety and rollover testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Ford’s 2008 Mustang convertible has scored a five star rating in the latest New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), making it the first specialty sports car in history to earn the highest possible safety rating.

The tests included head-on collisions, side impact evaluations and a rollover assessment. Attributes of the car which led to its strong standing was its impact-absorbing structure and extensive list of standard safety features. These include standard front and side airbags, seat-mounted thorax side airbags, safety belt pretensioners, a seat weight sensing system and a crash severity sensor.

Last year, nearly one out of every two sports cars sold in the States was a Mustang and the convertible version remains America’s best selling drop-top so it’s good to see that it’s come out on top in the crash tests.