First Week Pony: 1964½ Ford Mustang

When Ford unveiled the Mustang on April 17th, 1964, it caused a showroom stampede. Potential customers inundated dealerships, eager to hand over their cash to take one home. Our featured car is one such vehicle, driven off the lot by its first owner on April 21st, 1964. It presents superbly, featuring the D-Code 289ci V8 under the hood. The seller believes it deserves a new home with a genuine enthusiast, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Curvette for spotting it listed here on eBay in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada. The seller set their price at $48,000, although the currency type is unclear.

It really was a case of “the quick or the dead” when Ford unveiled the Mustang at the World’s Fair on April 17th, 1964. The company received 22,000 firm orders on the first day, and the production tally would hit 121,538 cars by the end of that model year. It proved the tip of the iceberg, with the company placed in the enviable position of being unable to build cars in sufficient numbers to meet buyer demand. This Hardtop left the showroom four days after the badge’s public launch, making it an extremely early example. It is unclear when it was refurbished, but the process included repainting the car in its original shade of Sunlight Yellow. It presents superbly, with no cosmetic shortcomings or signs of rust. The chrome wheels look striking against the sparkling paint, but since my reference material suggests that Ford didn’t introduce them until the 1965 model year, they can’t be original to this car. The trim looks exceptional, and the glass is crystal clear.

Lifting the Mustang’s hood reveals a D-Code 289ci V8, a motor only available during the 1964½ production run. It is bolted to a four-speed manual transmission, while the first owner also equipped the car with power steering. The D-Code delivers 210hp and 300 ft/lbs of torque, placing it between the figures produced by the 1965 C-Code and A-Code. The seller suggests that the motor is original and received a few unspecified upgrades during a professional rebuild. However, it retains crucial components such as its original carburetor, generator, and factory four-speed. The seller upgraded the brakes to front disc brakes and a dual-master-cylinder setup, and added Shelby front suspension. Most of those changes could be reversed for authenticity, but since the car is a turnkey proposition, the new owner could make that decision at their leisure.

I’m unsure whether to describe this Mustang’s interior as perfect, but its condition is extremely impressive. Trimmed in Black vinyl, it features a console, Rally-Pac gauges, and a pushbutton radio. There is no wear or evidence of abuse, and the overall appearance suggests it has been treated respectfully since being restored. I believe the presentation is probably good enough to receive praise on the show circuit, and the same would be true at any Cars & Coffee.

I’ve been a classic enthusiast for decades, and I can’t remember another car that generated as much genuine buyer interest as the First Generation Ford Mustang. The marketing approach was elegantly simple, allowing customers to slip behind the wheel of a vehicle for a far lower figure than its exotic styling might have suggested. This 1964½ Mustang is a beauty, and one of the earliest examples we have seen at Barn Finds. My only disappointment is that the restorer has strayed from the faithful path during their build. However, the changes are reversible, raising the question: would you return the Mustang to its factory form, or enjoy it as is?