On March 9, 1964, the very first copies of the living legend rolled off the production line after a relatively short development period. It was the harbinger of a sales success that was edged in gold. We describe the construction years 1964-1966, in fact the first series of the first Mustang generation. The Unexpected became a golden opportunity for Ford, and never lost its youthful image.
Because that was also the purpose of the development of the Mustang: to appeal to a broad and young audience. The appearance of the Mustang - with its long nose and short rear - was revolutionary. The Pony Car was born. That title also applies in full to the way in which the Ford was developed. After initially having a futuristic-looking two-seater in mind, Ford boss Lee Iacocca decided to change course. The result was not to be denied: Detroit succeeded in giving the world a - what would soon prove to be - legendary car in a smart and cost-efficient way. The self-supporting body of the Ford Mustang was placed on a chassis with an independent suspension with coil springs at the front and a rigid axle with longitudinally placed transverse springs. These parts came from other Ford models. The same applied to the chassis and the drivetrains. The Falcon and Fairlane became the main supplier for the Mustang. That resulted in a saving of costs and time. The production method was similar to - for example - that of the Falcon, which meant that there was no need to develop a completely new production process.
Special editions
The first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line on March 9, 1964, and was part of a special series. This consisted of “Special editions” because the debutants were white roadsters with red leather interiors. They were part of an impressive marketing campaign. The world became acquainted with the Mustang through television and printed media. On April 17, 1964, the Mustang had its official baptism of fire in New York. It was - supported by the raging marketing bombardment - the start of a serious sales success. After a year and a half, Ford passed the milestone of one million Mustangs sold. And that too was unexpected.
Model year 1964-and-a-half
The Mustang debutants, belonging to model year 1964½, were available in several model and engine variants. The customer had the option of purchasing the hardtop variant from a price of $2.368. The owner then had a genuine basic version in his hands with a 2.8 six-cylinder in-line Thriftpower block with single carburetor, which had already found its way into the Falcon. The first Mustang could also be equipped with a 4.3 liter Windsor V-8 block, which was good for an output of 166 HP and a torque of 350 Nm at a speed of 2.200 rpm.
Early adjustments
In keeping with American tradition, the first adjustments were made shortly after the debut. In addition to adding the Fastback 2+2 variant for the 1964 model year, which was announced in August 1965, adjustments were also made to the Ford Mustang's calling card: the grille changed. The emblem was now "carried" by four chrome strips. More important was the demise of the 2.8 block. A 3.273 cc power source now found its way into the most basic Mustang. The basic Fastback - the new model variant - was also equipped with it. Furthermore, a line was drawn through the 4.3 block. This was already upgraded in the course of 1964 to the 4.7 V8 Windsor block, better known to connoisseurs as the 289cu block. This power source also received several power variants, ranging from 203 to 275 HP. The last variant is also known as Windsor HiPo (High Performance) and also found its way into the Fairlane. In the lower power scales the block was equipped with a two-barrel carburettor. The strongest power sources were given a four-barrel carburettor.
More changes
Another technical adjustment was the use of a dynamo instead of an electric generator. A floor lever available in several colors also found its way into the Mustang, which was also equipped with an AM radio as standard from model year 1965. For model year 1966, the dashboard (the belt speedometer was replaced by round gauges) and safety features were adjusted. In addition, the 4.7 V8 in 228 HP version could be equipped with the Ford “cruise-o-matic”, a new three-speed automatic transmission. The grille, which had been changed from a honeycomb to a slot construction, lost its four chrome strips. The quarter panel behind the door did get extra chrome. The 1966 model variant was sold 607.568 times, before the slightly modified model year 67 version saw the light of day. And the now very much alive Mustang myth continued happily.
Coming soon in AMK
Because the Ford Mustang is an icon in automotive history, we will of course be paying extensive attention to the illustrious Pony Car. We recently made a report with a beautiful example from the second series of generation 1. And that is a beautiful Mustang from 1967. In a few months you will read all about our photo model, and about the history of the three series that belonged to generation one.
Eternal beauty. Unfortunately poor quality, didn't cost a dime at the time!
GM was more expensive and better.