Restored in the USA, this early Mustang GT came to Britain soon afterwards and has only been driven a few thousand miles since. This is a prime opportunity to pick up one of the best first generation Ford ‘pony cars’ available in the UK

PRICE £ SOLD SOLD SOLD
YEAR 1965
ENGINE 4737cc/V8/OHV/Ford four-barrel Autolite A41000 carburettor
POWER 225bhp@4800rpm
TORQUE 305lb ft@3200rpm
MAXIMUM SPEED 125mph  
0-60MPH 6.9sec
GEARBOX RWD, four-speed manual
MILEAGE 75,156 miles
MOT New from sale
CHASSIS NUMBER 6F07A713777
COLOUR Arcadian Blue
INTERIOR Two-tone blue
WIDTH 1735mm
LENGTH 4613mm 

BACKGROUND
Unlike a lot of American cars, the Ford Mustang needs little introduction to us Brits. The Blue Oval’s ‘personal coupe’ is every bit as much a legend on this side of the Atlantic as it is in its homeland. When launched in 1964, it was wildly successful. It popularised the ‘pony car’ concept of compact, stylish but affordable high performance machines available with enough options to allow them to be individualised to their owners’ content. The initial forecast of sales of up to 100,000 per year proved to be a wild underestimation, as orders of 22,000 were taken on the launch day alone. By the end of the (slightly extended) first year, 618,812 had been sold, and the million mark was reached before two years had passed. Suffice to say, first generation Mustangs, especially in their more potent forms, are just as desirable and sought-after today as they were when current models.

Speaking of more potent Mustangs, the GT variant - as here - probably does deserve further explanation, however. It was introduced in April 1965 as an ‘Equipment Group’ package, albeit only available on the 225bhp and 271bhp 289 V8 cars (our example being a 225bhp variant). It consisted of front disc brakes, Special Handling Package (stiffer springs and shock absorbers, plus front anti-roll bar), quick ratio steering, chrome exhaust trumpets, lower body stripes, GT emblems and branded fuel cap, and grille-mounted foglamps. Inside, the standard instrument panel was replaced by a more informative five-dial version. Just 15,079 Mustang GTs were built in 1965 Mustang form. The package grew in popularity the following year - when our car appeared - during which 25,517 of the Fords were so finished.

OUR CAR
According to the V5 registration document, this Arcadian Blue Mustang GT was first registered in January 1966. It stayed in its country of birth for the next 41 years, after which it was brought over to the UK, having been restored Stateside. There are photographs of the rebuild in the history folder. However, the car remained unregistered over here from 2007 until 2013, when it finally got its British numberplates for use on UK roads.

The owner who registered it checked on its GT credentials, and didn’t find it wanting. As well as having all the more obvious features such as the fog lights, filler cap and badges, dual exhausts, and more comprehensive dash, the more hidden-away modifications - such as front anti-roll bar, high-ratio steering  box and stiffer suspension - are all in place. The body shell also has the reinforcements  only found on dual exhaust cars.

When registered in 2013, the mileage was recorded as 72,414 miles. It’s now 75,156 miles, so in eight years, the Mustang has covered less than 3000 miles. The paperwork folder includes MoT certificates back to the the car’s 2013 British registration, lots of recent bills for parts, and and some US history, albeit mainly concerning its export over to this side of the Atlantic.

BODYWORK
With so few miles driven on British roads since its American restoration, this Mustang remains in excellent condition. The Arcadian Blue paint - a light shade that especially suits the handsome lines of early Mustangs - is even in shade throughout, and free from  any blemishes. All the panel gaps are consistent, and there is no corrosion evident. However, while the rebuild was obviously a very thorough one, it wasn’t over-zealous. Thus, while items like the bumpers are simply sparkling and look like they could have been fitted yesterday, other bits such as the door handles, GT fuel cap and other small brightwork parts have obviously been left alone. Consequently, they show a few light signs of age, such as very minor pitting or cracking, but these are really only apparent under close scrutiny. Underneath, the Ford has been thoroughly undersealed.

The tyres all around are ‘white band’ Jetzon Genesis M&S P205/70 R14s, and they’re all sound, with plenty of tread left and no damage to the rubber. The wheeltrims do have some patches of missing dark grey paint in places, but are otherwise straight and undamaged with no kerbing or scuffing.

INTERIOR
It’s evident that the restoration focused more on the exterior than the interior, leaving the cabin with its darker two-tone blue colour scheme, with a quite charming patina and air of originality. This is evidenced by the thin paint on top of the steering column, and the slight discolouration to the carpets underneath their fitted, Mustang logo-branded rubber mats. This could well be interior as fitted by Dearborn 55 years ago. There’s a lot of space inside - at least for front seat passengers - and it all feels very airy, thanks to all the glasswork.  

The seats display minimal wear, with a small split in the driver’s seat cushion being the most apparent sign of 55 years of use. It does look like this squab has been (quite professionally) repaired in the past, as it has a line of stitching down it that isn’t mirrored in its passenger-side companion. Both door cards are in very good order. All the gauges are functional, and the dashboard is uncut. Lap belts are fitted both front and rear, although there are a new set of shoulder belts (in matching blue) in the boot, should a future owner wish to fit them.

For those who delight in period options and features, this Mustang has quite a few of them. There’s the adjustable driver’s door mirror, which can be twiddled with via a knob set into the door card. The rear view mirror has ‘DAY’ and ‘NITE’ (not ‘night’) settings, while inside the glovebox, you’ll find both the sticker for the recommended tyre pressures as well as an emergency flasher toggle switch. However, what really stands out are the radio - it’s the original Ford MW/LW transistor unit, and still works - and the ‘Bury Goldwater in 1964’ badge on the rear parcel shelf. In case you’re wondering, Barry Goldwater was the Republican candidate in the 1964 US presidential election during which Democrat Lyndon B Johnson - who’d taken over at the top following the assassination of John F Kennedy the year before - won a landslide victory. So that slogan obviously worked. And this car presumably once belonged to a Democrat!

The boot is lined with grey and black checked vinyl material and includes the spare wheel cover and jack in its individual bag both finished in the same material.

ENGINE AND RUNNING GEAR
With its prominent blue-painted air filter cover trumpeting the motor’s ‘289 cubic inches’, the engine bay is tidy and presentable, with traces of wax preservative noticeable in some of the nooks and crannies and underneath the bonnet lid. Everything looks to be standard with, a few plastic cable-ties and battery cut-off switch aside, no signs of any DIY modifications or upgrades. The belts and wiring are in good condition. We know from the paperwork that the carburettor was rebuilt in 2013, the points and distributor cap were replaced and a new fuel pump, battery and dual-circuit brake master cylinder fitted. Remember, the car has done less than 3000 miles since then.    

Turn the  key, and the Mustang GT burst into life with little hesitation. The V8, with its deep bass note, sounds superb, but you need to blip the throttle a bit with the windows open to hear it at its best. Inside, with the glass up, the exhaust sound is surprisingly muted, at least at fairly pedestrian speeds. You don’t even need the radio on all that loud to still be able to hear it.

Many Mustangs develop sloppy handling as they get older, if they’re not looked after. That’s not the case here. There is the expected heavy steering at low speeds - there’s no power assistance - but with increased velocities, things soon free up. That allows whoever is behind the wheel to truly appreciate just how tight the steering is, and how well this GT handles on the road. There’s very little vagueness or wavering; when you point this Ford somewhere, that’s exactly where it goes, rather than trying to wander off on its own. With 225bhp on tap, acceleration is impressive, and acceleration is smooth, with no hesitation or missing. All the gears are easy to find, albeit via the heavy clutch that is so typical of these cars, and the brakes work effectively - the disc/drum set-up is certainly an improvement over the drum/drum arrangement found on lesser Mustangs of the same era.

SUMMARY
First generation cars are the Mustang collector’s car of choice, and being an early GT, this example has an extra level of desirability. This is Ford’s ‘pony car’ in original form, albeit with factory upgrades that make it even more exhilarating and competent than most of its non-GT siblings. Having only been lightly used since it was restored, it remains in first-class order inside and out. But it hasn’t been over-renovated; thus there are still lots of areas that have been left original (or at least aged), and they undoubtedly lend the car even more character and appeal, reminding you that it’s over half a century old. It’s been refreshed where it needed to be, but left untouched where it simply wasn’t necessary.

However good a classic looks though, how it drives is just as important - unless it’s going to be a trailer queen. There’s no need for that here, for this example has lovely road manners, and drives as well as any other Mustang out there, and probably far better than most survivors. We’d welcome anybody coming to view and sample this car because, however great it looks in our photographs, it’s so much better in the metal.

While Greenside Cars Ltd has tried to ensure information and assessments are accurate and complete, we are aware that some errors and omissions may occur from time to time. We are not able, therefore, to guarantee the accuracy of information and cannot accept liability for loss or damage arising from it. We highly recommend that you examine any vehicle to check the reliability of the information supplied. Please contact us for further details, images, or to arrange a viewing of this Ford Mustang GT.

PRICE

£ sold

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YEAR

1966

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ENGINE

4736cc V8

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MILEAGE

75,156

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COLOUR

Arcadian Blue

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To enquire about this vehicle or request a viewing, please contact us via phone or email.