1965 Ford Mustang Convertible, Body/style 76A
Owners: Bernie and Janice Taulborg Collection
Original cost: $2,614.00
Number made: 73,112
Engine, etc.: Ours has the optional V-8; 289 cid; 200 hp; 108 in. wheelbase; 2,650 lbs.
Marketing for the Mustang began in April, 1964. Ford saw the need for a new small sporty car in the lower price ranges – a working man’s Thunderbird. It was launched in 1965 at the New York World’s Fair.
The Mustang looked refreshingly different from the usual large and bulky American cars. It was compact, chic, and weighed about 2,550 lbs. It had a classic hood, sleek blade bumpers, and a short rear deck combined with a forward leaning grille. It also had fully exposed wheel openings, a sculpted body, and controlled use of bright trim.
The Mustang’s style and sporty design combined with relatively simple engineering made it “eye-candy” for many Americans. It was the automobile that touched off the entire “pony car” craze of the 1960’s and the first automobile to win the Tiffany Award for Excellence in American Design.
The Mustang was offered with a choice of three V-8 engines with relatively good performance. It appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines, due to its attractive body and good performance.
The Mustang was built on the Ford Falcon’s chassis and used many of its components. It was an instant success with 263,434 sold in 1964.
By its first birthday on April 17, 1965, it had established a new world record of over 418,000 sales in the first year sales of a new model. This exceeded the previous record set by the Falcon by about 1,000 units. Model year production for 1965 was 559,451 and 53.6% were equipped with an automatic transmission.
Sources: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946 – 1974. John Gunnell. Rev. 4th ed. Krause Publications, 2002.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1965-1966-ford-mustang.htm
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z418/Ford-Mustang.aspx
See also: http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford/1965_Ford/1965_Ford_Salesmans_Fact_Book/dirindex.html (Original 1965 brochure)
