Arguably the most legendary automobile wearing the blue oval badge, the Ford Mustang has been in continuous production since March 1964. That's nearly 60 years as of late 2023. And even though the modern Mustang is better in every way, we're still in awe of the first-gen pony that started it all.
Unveiled in April 1964 as a sportier version of the Falcon, the Mustang kickstarted the pony car segment. Sure, the Plymouth Barracuda arrived a couple of weeks earlier, but it didn't have the impact of the 'Stang. The vehicle developed into a fully-fledged muscle car by the decade's end.
The 1968-to-1971 Mustangs are obviously the most appealing in terms of performance, but the early versions have their own thing going on. I'm a big fan of the 1964-to-1966 iteration. It doesn't look overly aggressive, the V8 engines offer plenty of oomph, and some cars come with nice options. The 1965 convertible you see here is particularly charming.
Finished in a dark shade of green and fitted with a cream soft top, this Mustang looks rather classy. And it gets even better inside the cabin. Do you know how many first-gen Mustangs have dull-looking, all-black cabins? Well, this drop-top was ordered in a lovely two-tone pattern with light colors. There are no black surfaces except for the upper dashboard and the floor.
The color on the center seats and door panels is obviously white, but the second hue is difficult to pinpoint due to the light. It looks like grey at first glance, but it has a gold-like tint from certain angles. It's not Palomino or Parchment, so it could be Ivy Gold.
And yes, those are horses embossed on the seats, which means this Mustang also sports the Deluxe Pony interior trim. The package isn't exactly rare, but you won't see it very often either, especially in this color combo. This pony certainly looks like a nice and fancy place to spend time in.
On the flip side, this Mustang is nothing fancy under the hood. It's a C-code car, so it packs a two-barrel 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) small-block V8. It was the base V8 unit that year, slotted only above the entry-level inline-six. Rated at 200 horsepower and 282 pound-feet (382 Nm) of torque, it was superseded by the 225-horsepower, four-barrel version of the same unit.
It's unclear whether the engine is numbers-matching, but the weathered paint on the block suggests this unit left the assembly line in the car. What we do know from our host is that the Mustang is all-original as far as body panels go. And that's a rare feat for a pony this old.
If it looks like the kind of Mustang you want to park in your driveway, American Mustangs is looking to part ways with the convertible for $45,000 or best offer. Hit the play button below for a full walkaround.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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