C O V E R     S T O R Y

“I just love Fords,” a kid shouted out as he gazed upon the beige 1964½ Mustang on prominent display at The Henry Ford Museum.  When asked by his friends why, all he could say was that, “they always look sharp.”

The kid is barely nine years old, and his working knowledge of the automobile still has a long way to go.  Yet, here he is, mesmerized by the sporty proportions of the Ford Mustang—his wide and innocent smile, definitely a sign of someone who has found his first and true love.  Rushing across the hall, a group of Japanese tourists pose for a quick snapshot beside America’s beloved “pony car”. 

Funny, I thought.  The kid is forty years too young to understand “Mustang-mania”, a phenomenon that swept America in the 60’s, and the Japanese are definitely on the wrong continent at the time.  Still, here they are—people from all walks of life, admiring what is arguably the quintessential symbol of American style and flair, and Ford’s glowing contribution to automotive history.

Flashback to the 1960’s, a decade of change—a time when business was good and originality reigned supreme.  It was the era that saw Martin Luther King Jr., fighting for equality, and Andy Worhol’s Campbell’s Soup stacking was artwork.  The Beatles ruled the airwaves and the miniskirt, the talk of the town.  The perfect setting therefore for the birth of one of America’s rolling legends: the Mustang.  The story however isn’t as clear cut as you may think.

The concept of making a relatively affordable long-hooded, short-decked GT wasn’t the idea of Ford.  In fact, the idea came from Budd—a company that supplied body stamping and stamping equipment to car manufacturers.  In 1962, they came up with the novel idea of the XR400, a two-seater concept, which they marketed to American Motors.  They hoped to land a deal where the latter would produce the automobile, while the former would supply the body.  Funny, but American Motors decided not to pursue the proposal. 

During the same year, Ford unveiled the Mustang Concept—a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car that signaled the company’s renewed interest in performance-oriented automobiles.  However, the long-slung, two-seater layout proved to be difficult in both sales and manufacturing aspects.  In search for a more practical solution, Ford saw the XR400 as the perfect template.  Utilizing an existing platform (the Falcon sedan), engineers added two additional seats to the XR400’s existing two, making the production 1964½ Mustang a true 2+2, ensuring a big success.

The relatively low engineering cost contributed heftily to Ford’s bottom line as Mustangs rolled off the line starting April of that year.  However, it was the sheer number of available accessories that really spelled the difference.  Everything from the engine (ranging from a 101-bhp inline-6 to a 271-bhp V8) to the interior color, seat fabric and even the radio and shifter location could be changed—the customizability of each Mustang proving to be the biggest hit among its owners.

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