Ford Mustangs on the wharf at Auckland after being unloaded from their delivery ship.

More than 550 Ford Mustang fans are getting themselves into a lather throughout New Zealand because the first shipment of the all-new model has arrived.

The first shipload of the iconic American muscle cars has berthed at Auckland, and the cars are now being transported to Ford New Zealand's vehicle compound where they are going through a series of final checks.

Next week the Mustangs will begin to be trucked to dealerships around the country where the keys will be handed to customers who have pre-ordered them.

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Pre-orders for the new Mustang have now topped 550 - an unprecedented number for any vehicle in New Zealand and almost twice the amount of pre-orders that had been placed at the beginning of the year.

"The magic of the Ford Mustang is its universal appeal," said Ford NZ managing director Corey Holter.

"These are the very first factory-built right-hand drive Mustangs in the country. We are as excited as the customers who will be taking delivery over the next week or so."

The overwhelming choice among the pre-orders remains the GT Fastback with a 5.0-litre V8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission. In New Zealand this model is making up about 58 per cent of the first orders.