April 17 marks the 49th anniversary of the introduction of the Ford Mustang.  More than a million of them were sold in the first 24 months — still the record for the most successful new car introduction.

The first Mustangs are technically referred to as 1964 1/2 because they were released in the spring, when there was less competition from the usual fall vehicle introductions.

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Inspired by the success of the compact Falcon, Ford saw an opportunity for a lower-priced, small, performance car and on April 17, 1964 introduced the Mustang.  Please join us in wishing this American classic a happy 48th birthday.

The spring introduction meant there was less competition from the usual fall vehicle introductions and is why the first Mustangs are technically referred to as 1964 1/2.  The Mustang was an instant hit and with over a million sold in the 1st 24 months, this iconic classic still holds the record for most successful new car introduction.  The compact, sporty, long hood-short deck design of the original Mustangs is an American classic.  The Mustang is the only car Tiffany & Co ever honored with is Award for Excellence in American Design.  Although the inline 6 was standard, almost 3/4′s of the buyers opted for one of the V8 upgrades.

Factory Air conditioning was not available on the 1964-66 Mustangs, although a dealer installed under dash system similar to Classic Auto Air’s “Daily Driver”™ was available. (more…)