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1964 Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang spawned a new 'Pony Car' market and offered a combination of personal luxury, sporting performance, and crisp styling. It was an overnight nationwide sensation when it was introduced in April of 1964 at the New York World's Fair, and part of its appeal was its vast array of options making it truly customizable and unique. It was aimed at affluent youth who desired a car that was as much a lifestyle statement as a means of transport. It offered great value-for-money, decent economy, brisk performance, and sporty looks. Ford projected first-year sales to reach around 100,000 examples, however, this figure was achieved in a mere four months, making its introduction the most successful in automotive history. 524,791 examples were sold in 1965. One million Mustangs were on American roads by 1966, and it is the only original pony car to remain in continuous production since its unveiling.

Due to its mid-year introduction in 1964, the earliest examples of the Mustang were titled as 1965 models but are known unofficially as 1964 ½ cars. They were VIN coded and titled by Ford as 1965 models, although production began five months before the normal start of the 1965 production year, on March 9th of 1964 in Dearborn, Michigan. Introduced to the public on April 17th, the Mustang appeared favorably in approximately 2,600 newspapers the next morning.

Lee Iacocca was the brainchild of the Mustang, and Donald N. Frey was the head engineer for the Mustang project (the T-5 project). He supervised the overall development of the car during its record 18-month creation. Eugene Bordinat was vice-president of design at Ford and tasked three design studios with creating proposals for the new vehicle. The winning design was ultimately created by the Ford Design Studio under Project Design Chief Joe Oros and his team of L. David Ash, Gale Halderman, and John Foster. The source of the 'Mustang' was suggested by executive stylist John Najjar, who was a fan of the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane. Najjar co-designed the first prototype of the Ford Mustang known as Ford Mustang I in 1961, working jointly with fellow Ford stylist Philip T. Clark. The Mustang I was introduced on October 7th of 1962 at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York. Formula One race driver Dan Gurney drove the second 'race' prototype in demonstration laps around the track, with his lap times only slightly off the pace of the F1 race cars.

The 1962 Ford Mustang I two-seater concept was followed in 1963 by the Mustang II four-seater concept, using a variation of the production model's front and rear ends with a roof that was approximately 2.7-inches shorter.

The name 'Mustang' may have come from Robert J. Eggert, Ford Division market research manager and a breeder of quarterhorses. He gave his wife a book entitled, The Mustangs by J. Frank Dobie in 1960 - the title inspired him to add the 'Mustang' name for Ford's new concept car. The name 'Mustang' could not be used in Germany as it was owned by Krupp, who manufactured trucks between 1951 and 1964. So Mustangs sold in Germany were called the 'T-5' until December of 1978.

The Ford Mustang was originally based on the platform of the second-generation North American Ford Falcon. It was a four-seat car with front bucket seats and a rear bench seat. A 'Fastback 2+2', first manufactured on August 17, 1964, enclosed the trunk space under a sweeping exterior line. The list price in the United States began at $2,368 and many of its components, including the suspension, chassis, and drivetrain, were derived from the Ford Falcon and Fairlane lines. This allowed its price to be low, production to commence quickly, a shorter learning curve for assembly and repair workers, and gave dealers the freedom of not investing in additional spare parts inventory to support the new car line.

The Dearborn factory produced both the Mustang and the Falcon, but its popularity quickly exceeded the plant's production capacity. In July, Ford's San Jose, California plant helped supplement production, and soon the Falcon assembly line at Metuchen, New Jersey, was converted to Mustang production as well.

The base engine was the 'U-code' 170 cubic-inch (2.8-liter) straight-6 unit sourced from the Falcon, backed by a three-speed manual transmission. Standard equipment included a glove box light, a padded dashboard, and black front seat belts. V8 models received a badge on the front fender that spelled out the engine's cubic-inch displacement (either '260' or '289') over a wide 'V' - the same emblem used on the 1964 Fairlane.

About four months into the Mustang production, several changes occurred including the engine lineup, with a 200 CID (3.3-liter) 'T-Code' engine offering 120 horsepower. The Fairlane's 'F-code' 260 CID (4.3-liter) engine ceased production when the 1964 model year ended and was replaced by a new 200 horsepower 'C-code' 289 CID engine with a two-barrel carburetor as the base V8. Additional engines included the 'A-code', four-barrel carbureted version offering 225 horsepower, and the unchanged 289 HiPo 'K-code' with 4-barrel Autolite 4100 carburetion rated at 271 hp at 6,000 RPM and 312 lb-ft at 3,400 RPM. A new AC alternator replaced the DC electrical generation on all Fords.

Standard equipment included an AM radio, standard Falcon instrumentation, a floor-mounted shifter, and adjustable driver and passenger bucket seats. The Interior Decor Group, also known as the 'Pony Interior,' added embossed running ponies on the seat front, integral armrests, round gauge cluster, and woodgrain applique accents. Options included a remote-operated mirror, a floor console, sun visors, a bench seat, and vinyl with cloth insert seats (this option was offered only in early 1965 models). Later options included an under-dash air-conditioning system. Rocker panel moldings, power brakes, power steering, push-button radio with antenna, deluxe retractable front seat safety belts, Special Handling Package, Accent Group, Equa-Lock limited-slip differential, and Heavy-duty battery were just a few of the Mustang's options.

Mustang GT
15,079 Ford Mustangs were built in 1965 as GT versions fitted with the 'GT Equipment Package.' This group of options included grille-mounted fog lamps, rocker panel stripes, disc brakes, and a V8 engine, usually the '289' 225 hp. The interior received a unique instrument panel that included an ammeter, oil pressure gauge, speedometer, and fuel gauge in five-round dials.

Rally-pac
Ford's success at the 1963 Monte Carlo Rally spawned the Rally-Pac option available on Ford and Mercury compact and intermediate vehicles. This option group added a combination clock and tachometer mounted to the steering column. The factory-installed feature cost $69.30 (US) or $75.95 when installed by a dealer. 14-inch rims were available for Rally-Pac and GT350R vehicles which required widening the front and rear track to 57.5-inches. Additional options included back-up lights, a compass, rear seat belts, and air conditioning.

Competition
The Mustang would enjoy a lengthy and often glorious competition career, commencing not long after its introduction when a pair of works-backed cars entered by Alan Mann Racing finished 1st and 2nd in class in the 1964 Tour de France international rally. Roy Pierpoint drove a Mustang to overall victory in the 1965 British Touring Car championship. In the United States, the Mustang proved very competitive at the drag strip, with a 427 cubic-inch (7.0-liter) engined example winning the NHRA's 'Factory Stock Eliminator' class at the 1965 Winternationls. Carroll Shelby's GT350 Mustangs won five of the SCCA's six divisions in 1965 and the B-Production title again in 1966 and 1967.


by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2020

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1964 Ford Mustang Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

1964 Mustang
$2,612-$17,800
1964 Ford Mustang Price Range: $2,368 - $2,612

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1964 Ford Models
$1,985 - $2,660
$2,180 - $2,600
$2,611 - $3,485
$4,485 - $4,851

Mustang - Generation I

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
126,538
108.00 in.
6 cyl., 200.00 CID., 116.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 195.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 225.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 271.00hp
$2,368 - $2,612
559,451
108.00 in.
6 cyl., 200.00 CID., 120.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 225.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 271.00hp
$2,370 - $2,612
607,568
108.00 in.
6 cyl., 200.00 CID., 120.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 225.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 271.00hp
$2,415 - $2,650
108.00 in.
$2,590 - $2,695
472,121
108.00 in.
6 cyl., 200.00 CID., 120.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 195.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 271.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 320.00hp
$2,460 - $2,695
317,148
108.00 in.
6 cyl., 200.00 CID., 115.00hp
8 cyl., 289.00 CID., 195.00hp
8 cyl., 302.00 CID., 230.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 280.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 428.00 CID., 335.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 390.00hp
$2,600 - $2,812
108.00 in.
6 cyl., 200.00 CID., 120.00hp
8 cyl., 302.00 CID., 220.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 225.00hp
8 cyl., 390.00 CID., 265.00hp
8 cyl., 428.00 CID., 335.00hp
8 cyl., 429.00 CID., 375.00hp
$2,615 - $3,120
108.00 in.
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 290.00hp
197,045
108.00 in.
6 cyl., 200.00 CID., 120.00hp
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 155.00hp
8 cyl., 302.00 CID., 220.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 250.00hp
8 cyl., 302.00 CID., 290.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 330.00hp
8 cyl., 428.00 CID., 360.00hp
8 cyl., 429.00 CID., 375.00hp
$2,720 - $3,715
108.00 in.
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 250.00hp
$3,270 - $3,270
108.00 in.
8 cyl., 302.00 CID., 290.00hp
$3,720 - $3,720
151,428
109.00 in.
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 150.00hp
8 cyl., 302.00 CID., 210.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 240.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 240.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 330.00hp
8 cyl., 429.00 CID., 370.00hp
$2,910 - $4,120
1,800
109.00 in.
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 330.00hp
$4,120 - $4,120
102,589
109.00 in.
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 98.00hp
8 cyl., 302.00 CID., 140.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 163.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 256.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 266.00hp
$2,730 - $3,100
134,817
109.00 in.
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 88.00hp
8 cyl., 302.00 CID., 135.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 154.00hp
8 cyl., 351.00 CID., 156.00hp
$2,765 - $3,190
109.00 in.
8 cyl., 302.00 CID., 141.00hp
$3,085 - $3,085

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