1960s Ford Mustang Information
The 1960s Ford Mustang helped define the Baby Boomer generation through Ford's perceptive design studio that shed the shackles of the obese finned era of the 1950s automobile by introducing a sleek, sporty passenger car. The Mustang allowed Ford to launch its most aggressive marketing campaign to attract the first postwar generation coming of driving age. The pop culture icon is now a highly valued collector's car.
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Origins
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The 1964 Ford Mustang was conceived in 1961 to meet the needs of Baby Boomers who were ready to buy their first car. The first Mustangs left the assembly line April 17, 1964, as 1965 models. Later, Mustangs built before September 1964 were identified as 1964½ cars, and Mustangs manufactured after September became 1965 models.
Models
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First off the assembly line were convertibles and coupes. The 2+2 fastback followed within a few months. The Mustang featured slightly concave slab-sided panels, a narrow horizontal grille with a galloping horse in the center of a crossbar, bucket seats, racing-style hubcaps and steering wheel, and an optional floor shifter.
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From the Ashes of Edsel
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The Mustang rose from the ashes of the Ford Edsel with Edsel's infamous horse-collar grille. Ford was still reeling from the debacle surrounding the much-maligned Edsel, which had failed spectacularly with buyers and the automotive press. Ford Division chief Lee Iacocca saw the Mustang as an answer to the Edsel's failure.
Falcon Roots
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To keep costs low, the Mustang was built on a Ford Falcon platform and used some Falcon and Ford Fairlane mechanical components. Early Mustangs were powered by Ford's tepid 170-horsepower inline six-cylinder engine. The Mustang was 181.6 inches long on a 108-inch wheelbase.
The Very First
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The first Mustang was a convertible manufactured on March 9, 1964. It went to a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, couple that placed an order with the Powell Ford dealership. Exactly one week after its creation and one day before the official March 17 launch date, the convertible was delivered to the buyers. It featured Wimbledon White paint and a 260-cubic-inch V-8 engine with an automatic transmission.
Success
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More than a million Mustangs were sold during the first two years of production. More than 100,000 convertibles were sold in the first year. The Mustang sparked the "pony car" competition with other automakers, which answered with sporty, moderately priced and moderately powered coupes such as the Chevrolet Chevelle and Camaro and the Plymouth Barracuda.
Shelby Mustangs
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Perhaps the most enduring legacy of the Mustang are the limited edition Shelby Mustang GT350 and GT500 models, which featured performance suspension and engine packages, and racing styling, badging and stripes. These cars, produced by former race driver Carroll Shelby, were built for Ford from 1965 to 1970. Today, they command prices of more than $225,000.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit toolnorth: flickr.com, hugo90: flickr.com, cook forest: flickr.com, g.tongle: flickr.com, jacksnell: flickr.com
