In the early 1960s, Ford was losing ground in marketing a youth-oriented, affordable car. Ford needed a fresh car to wow the buying public. Lee Iacocca is credited with suggesting a compact but sporty car with a long hood and short rear, similar to the Continental Mark II, and Gene Bordinat, vice president of design, was charged with developing the car. In turn, Bordinat called on all three design studios—Ford, Lincoln-Mercury and Advanced Design—to create styling proposals based on five prerequisites: the car must seat four, have bucket seats, have a floor-mounted shifter, weigh no more than 2,500 pounds and be less than 180-inches long, and cost less than $2,500. The Ford team’s proposal won, and that group moved forward looking to style a car that appealed to women, but didn’t alienate men. It was to be a car that would look equally at home in Europe as well as the U.S., and a sporty car that had Ferrari and Maserati influences, especially in the nose, along with scoops on the sides to cool the rear brakes. It was to be practical, but not openly convey practicality; it was designed to evoke movement and imagination, all the while being youthful, but elegantly so. While the prototypes were called Cougar, the car was ultimately called Mustang, and it was arguably the most successful vehicle launch since the Model A. The first Mustangs were built between 1964 and 1966, with 1967 ushering in a restyled body. This 1966 Mustang GT Coupe is finished in Signal Flare Red with the optional black vinyl top and matching GT side stripes. Powered by the A-code 289/225 HP V-8 engine topped by a 4-barrel carburetor and paired with a 4-speed manual transmission, the Mustang rolls on whitewall tires with red-center chrome styled steel wheels and features the correct rear GT valance with cutouts for the dual exhaust and the front grille with the driving lights. The black Deluxe Pony interior is complete with bucket seats, a center console, the Rally Pac dash cluster, a radio, four-place seatbelts, wood-grain applique appointments and upgraded Vintage Air. Power steering and disc brakes make this Texas car even easier to maneuver and enjoy.
