Beschreibung:

In the early 1960s Lee Iacocca decided that Ford needed a more youthful image. It was no idle talk, as Iacocca knew that Ford had the right tools at hand in the form of the compact Falcon platform and a six-cylinder engine for economy and low cost. The company also had a light-weight V-8 that could be tuned for higher levels of performance. On April 17, 1964, the Mustang was introduced in both coupe and convertible body styles built on the Falcon chassis; a 2+2 fastback followed in short order. Depending upon how it was specified, a Mustang could be all things for all people. Equipped with the base 200 cid inline six, the Mustang could be a modestly-priced and sporty commuter vehicle with either an automatic for the old Maiden aunt or a manual transmission for more fun. To boost performance—but not too much—a 260 cid V-8 was available. That one little option would send power climbing from 116 horsepower for the six to 164 for the eight. And, that was only the beginning. A bigger 289 cid V-8 was available with a base 195 horsepower, or in states of tune up to 271 horses. Transmission choices included three and four-speed manual gearboxes and the Ford-O-Matic automatic. Regardless of the engine or transmission ordered, all Mustangs were fitted with independent front suspension and live rear axles. Ford offered suspension and wheel packages to help the first “Pony” cars handle the more powerful engine options. Unfortunately, with drum brakes the stopping power didn’t match the performance. With the Mustang, Iacocca did more than cultivate a new, more youthful image for Ford. He pulled in young, middle-aged and older drivers with the Mustang. In that first partial year, Ford sold 97,705 Mustang coupes and another 28,833 of the good looking convertibles. For 1965, those numbers were even better. A whopping 409,260 coupes were sold, with another 77,079 fastbacks and 73,112 finding buyers. In 1965, this Mustang coupe was sold new to Pony Boy, Inc, a production company later acquired by movie director Francis Ford Coppola. As delivered, the new Mustang was equipped with a 289cid V-8 and three-speed automatic transmission. It retains its white interior and is finished in blue. At some point, possibly in the 1980s, the car received some restoration work and was partially repainted. To further cement its celebrity connection, Coppola used the Mustang in the 1983 movie The Outsiders, which included Matt Dillon and Tom Cruise in its cast. After more than 40 years, Ford’s Mustang is as popular as when it was new. The early 1964 ½ through 1966 models are the most popular, especially when equipped with the 289 cid V-8. They’re also rated highly as extremely usable starter classics. This one is even more desirable because it has long been owned by one of the most iconic movie directors of the second half of the Twentieth Century.