1964.5 – 1966 Ford Mustang: What Becomes a Legend Most
The Ford Mustang was arguably the most important American car of the 1960s. With it, Ford captured the spirit of youth and the young at heart in ways the similar Falcon / Comet could not. Lee Iacocc was on to something when he wanted Ford to produce a low cost car with youth appeal. That appeal ran deep as I remember a Mustang being one of my first toy cars in the early ‘70s. By that time the Mustang had developed a kind of youth cult, that transcended appeal to the young on its way to Hollywood and beyond. The similar Mercury Cougar was nearly as dashing and offered an air of sophistication with more a emphasis on luxury.
There were other sporty affordable cars before the Mustang like the Plymouth Barracuda and Chevrolet Nova SS – but they were designed to compete with the enormously popular Ford Falcon and lacked the timeless charm and versatility of the Mustang. The Falcon, while an attractive car in its own right had limited appeal as a sporty car, although before the Mustang, it set all kinds of sales records. The Falcon platform allowed Ford to develop the Mustang cheaply as it required few major modifications. In hindsight it was a much more feasible ideal than using the Thunderbird as a base which was originally proposed.
There were two concept cars. The first one from 1961 was a somewhat exotic roadster that had more in common with Ferraris of the day than the eventual production car. Interestingly, after the second concept car’s arrival in 1963, the production car that followed followed the concept’s design cues closely and would be in dealerships just six months later. A coupe and convertible were the first models to roll out midyear in 1964. With a base price below $2,500 for the coupe, the Mustang quickly shattered sales records with 417,000 units moved in the 12 months alone. The previous record was held by the Falcon. The coupe and convertible were quickly followed by a fastback coupe which would become the least popular model (and arguably the best looking). In 1964, the first Mustang would pace the Indy 500. Coming in hardtop and convertible models, topless cars featured the 289 V8 that would arrive for 1965 while 1964.5 hardtops were fitted with the less powerful 260 V8.
Here was a car with a sporty yet elegant interior that was comfortable and easy to get in and out of. Ford even went so far as to suggest that the Mustang was the perfect car for small families as they often featured ads with kids riding in the back. They also promoted the coupe as a sporting car for women who just happen to be a big percentage of Mustang buyers. Despite that it did not have a girly image as it’s more powerful V8 variants appealed to the growing musclecar fan as much as the urban sophisticate who might have considered an more expensive European GT cars like the Fiat Dino or BMW 2000C. For those who wanted more luxury, there was Mercury’s clone the Cougar with it’s own distinctive take on Mustang styling.
The Mustang was setting all kinds of sales records by 1965 with the coupe leading the way. Part of the coupe’s popularity was due of its versatility. It offered more storage room in it’s trunk than the sportier looking fastback or the elegant looking convertible. There were plenty of powertrain and convivence options that made the Mustang anything from a low-cost sporty runabout to a luxurious and well-equipped GT car. The coupe accounted for 75% of all sales making used Mustang coupes of this era easy to find thanks to the high volume of sales.
The 289 V8 engine paired with a 4-speed manual was the sportiest configuration until the GT arrived in the spring of 1965. The GT could be had in all three body styles but looked best as a 2+2 fastback. All GT cars were visually distinguished by the two grille inset fog lights which became options on other Mustang trims. There were also dual exhaust tips, a rally-pac gauge cluster and a nice little side emblem just for the GT. Mustang drivetrain options blossomed for 65 as two optional V8 engines (up to 271 hp) , three transmission and various suspension enhancements made the GT a formidable street racer.
A true racer appeared with the first Shelby tuned Mustang in 1965. The Shelby GT350 was the first truly race ready car to be sold to the public by an American car company. It had no back seat and had weight saving features like a fiberglass floor. It’s 289 Hi-Po V8 was tuned for an extra 35 hp. The following year Shelby toned down the GT350 by adding a back seat and tuning the ride for more comfort. 1966 was also the year Hertz offered the Shelby GT350H as a rental. For 1966, Shelby had produced 2,380 cars vs. only 562 for the 1965 model year. The first Shelby Mustangs are most noted for their racing stripes and hood scoop in addition to a very race car like side exhaust. The ’65 models has side window louvers, but in an attempt to make it more consumer friendly, the louvers were removed for the 1966 model.
Mustang watchers like noting changes in the grille. Often subtle differences marked the ‘ from the ’64 from the ’65 like the change to horizontal slants framing the galloping horse. The ’65 GT would add a bar with inner fog lamps or no grille pattern at all on the first Shelby car in 1965. There were other more noticeable items like new steel wheels and more luxurious interiors with the optional “Pony Interior” option starting in 1965. While the seats were still vinyl, they were accented with touches of wood and chrome, making the Mustang a cheaper alternative to the Thunderbird. Even with all the luxury options a 289 V8 equipped GT with automatic Cruise-O-Matic transmission was still around $3,000!
Even in the early years of the Mustang, the lightest model could be carefully optioned as a sleeper. That was the case with the coupe, especially those equipped with 289 Hi-Po engine. Although the GT option was available for all models, many of the performance options were available separately, giving any Mustang potential GT-like performance (without the insurance hit). Mustang performance options included a limited -slip differential, performance springs and a quicker steering rack.
The fastback remains my favorite of all early classic Mustangs. Between 1964 and 1966, Ford sold nearly 700,000 Mustangs with just 35,000 of those being fastbacks. Fastback sales dropped off significantly for 1966. That year happens to be my favorite of all classic Mustangs. Mechanically they had the same engine options as any other Mustang with most people coveting the GT for obvious reasons. For me any 2+2 Fastback is a winner as Ford nailed the proportions perfectly with the ’65-’66. The ’67 lost all traces of a trunk with its long slantback extending completely to the rear. The ’66 still suggests a trunk and has an elegant massing of its “c” pillar highlighted by exit vents. With the rear seats folded down, but it imparted more of a 2-seat sports car mode than a place to put luggage. Shelby cars would exploit this later.
Ford had a head start with it’s pony car but by 1967 there was steep competition coming from GM in the form of the Camaro and Firebird. As a result, the 1967 model was completely redesigned. It was slightly larger, sleeker (in fastback form) and more powerful. In small ways the Mustang had lost some of it’s initial charm and would go on with a series of high and lows on its way to becoming America’s favorite ponycar.
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