Text by Patrick Bell.
On this day in 1964 the Ford Mustang was unveiled at the World’s Fair in New York City and in Ford dealers across the country. In ’65 or ’66 I had a neighbor that bought one on that first day somewhere in New York. His was a black convertible with a white top and interior with a V8 and 4-speed. When I knew him, he was in the military stationed at one of the bases in Anchorage, Alaska. He gave this young car nut a ride in it a few times and also on his Honda Dream motorcycle, but sadly, I do not remember his name. Still, please join us as we celebrate the Mustang’s 61st birthday by viewing some old images.
Our first image shows a young lady nicely dressed in red that goes well with the all black, V8 powered ’66 Hardtop she was about to enter. It looked close to new and had a license plate I do not recognize. The house had a fireplace and an air conditioner so it was a moderate to warm climate, and with leaves on the ground meant it was the fall season.
A couple of ladies posing with a ’65 Hardtop with a V8 and the “knock off” wheel covers. It was a sharp one in bright red and was wearing a Michigan license plate. Given the date on the photo this one has to be an early version, which were commonly called a ’64 1/2 model. The younger lady may think her family has the coolest car on the block, and she probably was correct.
Here we have a young man with a ’66 Hardtop from Jefferson County, Kentucky, the home of Louisville. The license plate is either a ’67 or ’69 issue, and with everything green it likely was a summer photo.
This one is located in a park type setting along the water, where a lady is properly buckled up in a close to new ’65 Hardtop equipped with a six cylinder. She was cruising with the windows open to show off that “hardtop” style. Across the road on the left is a ’65 Lincoln Continental sedan with a vinyl roof, and a ’61 or ’62 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five.
The newest car in the photo is this ’65 Convertible with a V8 and a license plate I can’t read. The only one that comes close is the ’63 or ’64 Rambler above the man’s left shoulder. Behind the Mustang is a ’55 Cadillac, and across the street is a black and white ’55 Oldsmobile 88 Holiday Coupe.
A lady in pink standing as the arrow on the pavement designates next to a ’65 Fastback 2+2 with a remote control mirror and “knock off” wheel covers. The Fastback was added to the lineup in September of ’64, which was the mark between the early (’64 1/2) and late ’65s. It comprised less than 14% of the late ’65 production. There is an interesting line up in the background, including a black ’62 Ford Country Squire, red C2 Corvette, tan ’65 Buick Skylark 4 door sedan, black ’61 Ford Galaxie, and a pre-’62 Volkswagen Type 2.
Most likely this was a father and son posing on Dad’s ’65 Hardtop from California. Son didn’t look too thrilled to be there. The car apparently was sold at Jim Woulfe Ford in Albany, California, and the owner was an AAA fan.
Two cuties were showing off a book of some sort next to a ’67 Fastback 2+2 on a summer day. This was the first styling refresh and it broke them away from the “Falcon” look. It was new or close to new, as the photo date indicates. Behind it was a ’62 Rambler Classic.
Another refresh came along in ’69 and this Mach 1 SportsRoof from New York wore it well. The Fastback got a name change plus it’s share of sales went up to 45% for this year. The stylish lady was ready to go for a drive.
Now we are out in the desert with another red ’69 SportsRoof, this one with the GT Equipment Package, which included the simulated hood scoop, stripes, styled steel wheels that are missing the caps, and some other miscellaneous bits. The man leaning against it looks like he was ready to take on any challenge.
A nice photo op at a roadside pull off with a spectacular view. They were traveling in a ’69 Mach 1 with the functional “shaker” hood scoop. The car was from California and that likely was the location as well.
This one looks like a couple of ladies were delivering presents to this family of which Mom was still in her curlers. Their ride was a ’66 Sprint 200 Hardtop, a limited edition option package to commemorate the one millionth Mustang and to promote sales of the 200 six cylinder. Exterior clues were the absence of the chrome quarter panel scoop ornament, painted “C” style pinstripe that matched the interior color, and wire wheel covers. It was a California car and probably was the location also. The photo date was September of ’72, so this car was six years old. To the left is a ’72 Chevrolet Impala Sports Coupe with the standard hub caps.
We are now in the seventies where a pleasant looking lady was posing by a ’70 Hardtop from California with a vinyl roof. It looked extra sharp in red and black, and it also was equipped with the optional Decor Group which included the racing style mirrors, wheel lip and rocker panel moldings, and some interior upgrades.
Here is an example of the final style refresh of the original generation that came out for the ’71 model year. This one was a ’71 or ’72 Hardtop that may have been a Grande and it was equipped with the Dual Ram Air Induction hood. The Grande had a script style nameplate on the sail panel, but it was further forward than the one in the image appears to be, and it had a pinstripe like a ’71 Grande. It had so many custom touches such as the hood stripes, wheels, Cobra badge on the fender, and some other badge on the sail panel that it is difficult to nail down the model. The person behind the wheel seems to be pleased so that was all that mattered.
Thanks for viewing and good day to all!
On this day in 1969 Ford also put the 1970 Maverick up for sale.
Has any new car ever grabbed the prevailing cultural zeitgeist as well as the Mustang did in 1964? Before it, American carmakers had been trying to reach this demographic with tarted-up Falcon Futuras and other similarly-drab smallish cars. Hey it’s got bucket seats, it must be sporty and youthful! Not after the Mustang dropped. You can just about see the pride of ownership on the subjects’ faces and, though not visible, likely on the photographers’ faces too in every one of these pics. None of these shots just happened to have a Mustang in the background – nope, they were all posed with the Mustang in the frame as if a family pet.
The lady in the pink dress with the arrow pointing toward her would likely be surprised to learn that as highly coveted as vintage Mustangs are in 2025, the barn-door VW bus behind her is worth even more…
Nice car ID on the Caddy limousine. I saw it and thought “GM, ’59-60” but wasn’t sure if it was a Buick or Cadillac. Forgot all about the ’61-65 Cadillac Seventy Five, which retained the ’59 platform, X-frame and fishbowl windshield included, until 1966.
The shots here with 1950s houses or motels in the background are doubly sweet.
The Mustang was one of the first cars I could identify that wasn’t owned by a family member. I remember pestering my parents for the Matchbox version (a white fastback) when it debuted.
I had the “knock off, Woolworth Peeler”, version. Fastback was “blue I believe.
Coupes were purple, gold, red. ((they all had black tops))
First rode in a 1965 white convertible back in Pennsylvania when we were there for a vacation and visited someone my father knew. His young daughter had the Mustang. I’m 12 and she is 18. I was impressed. I dreamed of getting one when I turned 16 in 1969 all the way up till I turned 16. That week was when my father suggested the 1968 Cougar he was driving. Turned out Ok as around school people now called me Mr. Cougar and it is written all throughout my 71 yearbook.
Forgot all about the ’61-65 Cadillac Seventy Five, which retained the ’59 platform, X-frame and fishbowl windshield included, until 1966.
The non-75 1961-1964 Cadillacs still had the same X-Frame chassis too. Only the external styling was really different, which is how they mated the newer front clip to the older 75 body.
lovely images .
My buddy Doug managed to survive Vietnam and mustered out in 1965, he bought new Mustang convertible, he only had the $ to choose convertible -OR- V8, he chose the rag top .
That VW Kombi isn’t a “barn door” it’s a ’58 ~ ’61 .
-Nate
Personal preference, but I’m not a huge fan of the first gen Mustang, in black. Not too bad, for convertibles with white tops. I find black too serious, for the Mustang’s youthful, playful, and fun personality. They look especially attractive I find, in red and white.
As so many ’60’s Ford Motor Company cars had such serious styling, the Mustang was such a refreshing departure, for the era.
What’s between the Rambler and Olds in the 5th picture? It’s got me stymied. Could be an English Ford Consul or Zephyr?
I think you’re right, looks like a highline (56-59) Mk2 Consul.
The hubcaps on the white fastback seem to have had some sort of aftermarket or cobbled-together “knock-off” extensions added to the standard hubcaps. The factory pieces were more tapered and recessed into the cap, which made them much less clunky looking.
The 1967 fastback in the eighth photo is quite a contrast with the 1962 Rambler Classic parked behind it. I’m guessing those two young girls would have been much more eager to be seen in the Mustang. Maybe they were visiting grandma, and she owned the Rambler.
The radical, difference in style is really emphasized in that pic! That “Rambler” may as well be a “pre war”, edition.
I feel like the world needs more Mustangs
I second that emotion. Though SUVs and CUVs, and trucks, are now the biggest sellers, the typical “standard” model Mustangs had a lot of happy owners. My favorite photo is the long haired lady in the print dress with the ’69 Fastback. A young guy in the family across the street from us, had a red ’69 Mach One in the early ’70’s. The ’69-’70 Fastbacks are still my favorite models. I should have bought one twenty years ago, but I’m happy with my ’06.
I like the white ’65 Hardtop (photo #4). The Mustang looks so modern compared to the funeral procession across the street.
I thought “funeral rides”, as well.
Great selection of pictures for Mustang Day!
I wish I had more time today to delve into these, but I’ll try to solve some of the license plate mysteries quickly.
The first picture appears to be a 1965 North Carolina plate (I’m assuming issued late in the year). The fifth picture appears to be a 1966 Maryland plate – comparison of both plates are below.
Thanks again for these pictures and descriptions!
Thank you, Eric
Husband and I owned a pair of rare 1970 Boss 302 Mustangs. Cruising around, slamming through the gears with that Hurst T-handle 4 speed shifter, was the best fun we ever had… with clothes on 💞
My little brother helping me wash my Mom’s ‘65 Mustang.
Spiffy!
Mom bought a 67 pony, light blue with a black vinyl top. And black interior, automatic everything.. With a luggage rack on the back trunk deck, beautiful car. It surprised us all she traded in her chevy impala.
She kept that car for 2 years before it got stolen. She got it back but it was totally trashed. Loved that car and I’ve been hooked ever since..
In the late ’70’s”, very early “80’s”, those “67/68 Stangs” were stolen quite regularly round northern “VA”
Let’s go back to 1980 long before the Mustang became iconic… High School in Florida… least likely non-car guy shows up in the parking lot with a immaculate Burgundy Metallic 65 fastback, 289 4 speed, white interior, 4 vent under dash air conditioner (The Dripper), side pipes and Spinner hubcaps… dude forget school let’s go for a ride… and we got busted for skipping school… our punishment? 3-day suspension from school lol… in those days late ’60s Camaros the occasional Barracuda and other muscle cars were fairly thick on the ground, if usually rather shagged out… showing up in an immaculate 65 Mustang was pretty avant-garde! Still a stunning car design… my daily driver back then was a Triple Dove Gray Cartier Edition Mark IV….
The 65 convertible I am sure about the plates. But I am from Philadelphia, and it looks it’s parked on Baltimore Ave here in Philly. If look closely, you can see the cobblestones for the trolley tracks. Also the Olds looks to have PA tags, the Caddy doesn’t have a front plate, like cars in Pennsylvania.
I agree that that picture with the ’65 convertible looks like Philadelphia, but I can’t figure out exactly where.
Also, Picture #9 (the red Mach 1 SportsRoof) looks very much like Northeast Philly, though the car is from New York. There’s many houses that look very similar to the ones shown, but I can’t find any that have those brick designs atop the dormer windows.
As always, I’m here for the architecture, fashions, and scenery. My favorite being residential neighborhoods of yesteryear. Love this site!
While it’s likely that pic 12 is a Sprint 200, it’s not necessarily so. The Accent Group (delete quarter ornament, add pinstripe) and wire wheel covers were stand-alone options on any ’66.
The open door blocks the view where a 289 emblem, or lack of one, could narrow things down a bit. When my parents did a mild restoration on their ’66 Coupe six in 1982, I instructed the body shop to remove the ornament and fill the holes because I hated the look of it, especially compared to the ’65 ornament. I had added wire wheel covers years earlier and wanted to add the stripe as well, but they sold it before that could be done. Truth be told, the ’65 detailing is nicer than ’66. Not only the side ornament, but the grill one also, as well as the grill itself.
I loved this one. I was fully prepared before looking through all the images to see fashions change in lockstep with the first generation Mustang’s growth and evolution. The early design’s classic, classy looks evolved into more countercultural sartorial choices even by the time of that beautiful, red 1970 hardtop. I was hoping to see some Mustang II pictures with owners to continue this comparison. Maybe on a future post…
Thank you to everyone who contributes to these. I enjoy them every time. Patrick, in some pics you reference a vehicle ( mustang) having a “V8” How can you tell??? Once again, thank you
During the late fifties and sixties carmakers often marked the engine and size with an emblem or badge of some sort. On the early Mustang’s it was a ‘V’ with the size in the valley of the ‘V’, which was a common design. They were mounted on the front of the fender, and the absence of one meant it was a six cylinder.
Of course, those rules are in general as everyone did their own thing to some extent. But during the horsepower race era manufacturers were anxious to show off their wares, and the public ate it up.
Thanks for your comments.
I still remember the first Mustang I ever saw, which was the same color as the promo model I got, probably Christmas of 1964. It belonged to a guy down the street, and I remember it as orange, which means that it was probably painted Poppy Red, a 1964.5-only color. I was only about 5 years old, and only remember the guy as an older man who liked to play golf. Even then I thought the Mustang was a really cool car.
In photo 7 the very cool optional Pony interior detail is also visible
My old boss had a 70 boss grabber green still has today has owned since he bought new at Ford dealer in Billerica Massachusetts awesome color and sounds better loaded with options his name is Paul Wozniacki he lives in Pepperell Massachusetts Massachusetts