1963 Ford Mustang Built for Henry Ford II Comes Out of Hiding, Flaunts Unique Features

The Mustang you see here is not a rare high-performance example, but it's a unique prototype that was built before the production Mustang hit dealerships in 1964.

If you're still confused about the title, let me tell you that it's not a typo: this Mustang was indeed built in 1963. And it wasn't just a regular prototype built for pre-production testing.

This triple-black pony was put together for Henry Ford II, the grandson of Henry Ford I and the company's CEO at the time. And amazingly enough, it soldiered on for almost 60 years to tell its story.

Featured in Hagerty's "Barn Find Hunter" series, the triple-black pony is not exactly a barn find, but it spends a lot of time in storage. The current owner has had it since 1975 and, following a sympathetic restoration and repaint, he opted to keep it in a clean and heated garage. A wise decision given that his Mustang is one of the first ever built.

So what makes it special, you ask? Well, quite a few features. Because this car was put together before the Mustang entered production, it was fitted with a few experimental and unique items. Ford also added a few extras to make it more comfortable for the big man in charge of the company.

The exterior doesn't really stand out at first glance, but look closer and you'll notice that this Mustang doesn't have the usual badges on the front fenders.

The vinyl top also features extra padding, something that the regular Mustang never got. A bit boring, right? Well, that's because most of the cool extra features are inside the cabin.

I'm talking about chrome latches, a radio unit with diecast buttons instead of plastic, and a prototype foglamp button that lights up when activated. On top of that, it was also fitted with leather seats, a premium feature that Mustang buyers didn't benefit from for a few years.

The dash pad is also made of leather, as are the headliner and the visors, while the trunk floor is carpeted. And amazingly enough, the leather is still original.

But is it any special under the hood? Well, the prototype was fitted with a K-code 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) V8, Ford's most powerful option until the 390-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) FE was introduced in 1967. The HiPo four-barrel mill was rated at 271 horsepower and 312 pound-feet (423 Nm) of torque in the production 1965 Mustang.

There's no info on the actual oomph of this car, but the owner says the prototype left the factory with experimental heads and an aluminum water pump.

It was also fitted with a generator, but it got an alternator a few years later. It also got disc brakes, making it the only early Mustang with enhanced stopping power.

How much of the car is still original? According to the owner, he had to replace the fenders due to severe rust issues, but almost everything else is either original or period-correct. He also sourced as much memorabilia as possible and he even met up with Edsel Ford to confirm that it was owned by his father.

Hagerty estimates that this Mustang is among the first 10 made, which would make it extremely valuable on the classic car market. But we won't find out how expensive this Mustang can be anytime soon because the owner isn't willing to part ways with it.

I'd venture to say it would cross the block for more than $1 million, though. Find out more about this incredible piece of Mustang history in the video below.