I hate conformity, at least in cars. It is funny how the car that conformed the least to the extablished order of things in 1965 has become one of the most conformist old cars out there. In 1965, you conformed by listening to the Beach Boys and driving an Impala. For those who would not conform, there was the Beatles and the Mustang. OK, it was the teenaged-kind of non-conformity, where everyone gets to not conform, but does so together in a big group.
Today, “I like early Beatles and have a restored classic Mustang in the garage” is about as conformist as you get among the baby boom demographic. But we have to give the devil its due, and the reason that the Mustang has become the most collected car in the universe is because it struck a chord with so many people.
There was nothing mechanically interesting about the Mustang. What was interesting was the concept. The Corvair Monza may have been the first to dip a toe into the market for affordable sports coupes (as our beloved Editor in Chief never tires of reminding us) but the Mustang was the first one to pull the package together in a way that was attractive to almost everyone.
Think about it. For the practical: it was essentially the reliable and affordable Falcon. For the style-conscious: it was fresh and beautiful. For the young: it was hip and cool. For the more mature: it made you feel young without making you look silly. For the driver: it was quite a good handler. For the dragster: it had a potent modern V8. It didn’t matter whether you were young, old, male, female, Republican or Democrat, you could see yourself in a Mustang. In short, within its basic package and its almost limitless combination of optional equipment, it was as close to becoming all things to all people as any car of the modern era.
The car taught us another lesson, although one that has been oft-forgotten many times since: a car can be inexpensive without being (and looking) cheap. A strippo Mustang with the six and three-speed looked almost exactly like a loaded-up V8 model from the outside. Even the basic Mustang got bucket seats, a floor shift, and full wheel covers. The Mustang rewarded those who spent more, but never embarrassed those would didn’t.
Sometimes exactly the right car comes to showrooms at exactly the right time. In the ’50s, it was the Chevy V8. In the ’80s, it was the minivan. But in 1965, it was the Mustang.
What can I say? The Ford Mustang. CCOTY of the year, hands-down.
^^^What he said.
Agreed………… I miss my metallic dark evergreen 65 Mustang convertible with black top and interior, 4-speed, 260 V8. My first car. I guess I’m seriously biased.
Yup, although I must say I’d find a 289/4speed combo plenty mechanically interesting.
You all must read BS Levy’s “The 200mph Steamroller” where gives a good if imagined account of the Mustangs development.
Also the description of Mr. Fairway’s secretary Ms. Francine Niblitz is worth the price of the book alone.
Great car! Great book!
No question for 65 it’s Mustang by a mile. As mentioned it was a car for everyone and created the largest impact on the car market since the model T, and nothing has matched it since.
Yeah Id go with the Mustang it wasnt available here but we sure heard about it and there were a few that filtered through back then. A local garage proprieter brought on in and promptly pulled the 289 out and installed a 351 to tow his Jeep.
I found a guy on Flicker that has posted a lot of old Australian Ford advertisements. I was quite shocked how many refer to the Mustang in one way or another since it was never officially offered there. I’m also kind of surprised that Ford didn’t offer the Mustang there considering how successful it was.
They did sell a small batch of 65 & 66 Mustangs, 200 total from memory, basically a showroom-traffic draw. Ford did have the hardtop version of the Falcon, which was a rare enough sight to be a bit special, they only sold a few thousand.
The Mustangs were converted to RHD locally and the theory was it would be easy since the Mustang was basically a Falcon, and they built RHD Mustangs… I don’t recall the details but it definitely didn’t turn out to be straightforward.
As much as I like the 65 Ford and the 65 Pontiac, the Mustang takes this one no problem. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t like these Mustangs. Easily the most influential car of the decade. This is also one of the few concepts that Ford created and when GM copied it didn’t surpass Ford in sales.
Like the Beatles, the Mustang still influences us today. They are cultural and transforming. There is nothing more iconic than that. The Five Years that Shook the World? Hyperbole? In this case……no.
Motor Trend gave the COTY to the Pontiac division that year, Ford the year before (with plenty of hints to the forthcoming Pony Car). While the GTO was a big deal, the Mustang was just HUGE.
JP was right about not embarassing the more frugal buyer. A few years ago I saw a perfectly restored white 65 ‘vert for sale. It had the console and GT headlights and pony interior…but no 289 badge. I pop the hood and bespied a 200 six nestled inside an immaculate (and to my inexpert eyes concours correct, even the heater hoses had Fomoco tags) engine bay. $12,000 was the asking price. I considered it but decided against it. It had been completely gone through, they’d even replaced the gas tank. I usually don’t remember a car I’ve looked at for long, so for me to remember this one means it was exceptional. A beautiful, classy car whose lack of two cylinders detracted nothing from the alure.
I think this one is a runaway winner for CCOTY. It definitely has had more of an impact than any other car introduced in that model year.*
I’ve heard the modern MINI Cooper described as a car that appeals to a broad spectrum of people because it has nearly endless trim levels and options (although perhaps too many models, at this point) and is designed and marketed to enhance whatever personality the driver brings to it–it’s not particularly a “girl” or “guy” car, but can appeal to both feminine and masculine, young and old. I think the Mustang hit upon the same formula–it could be a “secretary car”, and many were, but a young man wouldn’t look less manly driving one. It may have been the first car to really pull that off, and the most successful.
*Yes, I know the whole “1964-1/2” thing.
Sorry, but I’ll refuse to follow the sheep. If we’re talking 1965, then I’m talking Corvair Corsa Turbo. I’ve driven both, of the same, year, and there’s no comparison. The Mustang will hammer off the line. Take it into the first set of twisties, and the Corvair will leave it for dead. The Corvair was a driver’s car. The Mustang was an American driver’s car.
I agree with you about what car I’d rather have–a restored ’65 Corsa hands down–but as far as impact, I have to go with the Mustang. “Best Player” and “Most Valuable Player” aren’t always the same thing.
Car of the year…..Car of the Decade! With apologies to the GTO and Corvette Stingray, this was the car that changed everything,
Mencken was right. Take an old Falcon, put on a flash body, and the Americans eat it up. Turn out something that is technologically advance, and they’re scared to touch it.
The redesigned 65 Corvair was a beautiful car indeed. But not everyone cared for a rear engined, air cooled car no matter what advanced design technology it had. The Mustang ushered in what was known as The Pony Car, a short rear deck, long hood, short wheelbase coupe. It was the first real American sporty car that didn’t require a special mechanic to maintain it; any Ford dealer would do, just as any local gas station mechanic would know how to repair it. The Mustang ushered in the Camaro, Firebird, Javelin, Challenger and Cuda. Without the Mustang there would be no Trans Am race series, Mark Donohue would still be racing obscure European race cars and Parnelli Jones would still be racing out in the desert (along with Indy racers). Which direction would Carroll Shelby had gone had the Mustang not been born? Could you see Steve McQueen chasing that black Dodge Charger on the the streets of San Francisco behind the wheel of his Corvair? Not a bad legacy from an old school, flash bodied American car!
Mustang was the car-industry’s iPhone in its day!
I am so glad I didn’t submit a vote for the ’67 Corvette Sting Ray the other day. As cool as that car is, it doesn’t speak to me the way the Mustang does, the way it almost always has. Plus, the ‘Stang has back seats and I can justify potentially using it as a family car one day. You know, a chrome-laden, classic family car with a 289 and a fastback and very poor but beautifully-combusted fuel economy.