First-generation Mustang (original / classic)
1964½–1973
The original pony car. Ford launched the Mustang on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair — the famous "1964½" cars, titled as 1965s — and it created an entire long-hood, short-deck market segment almost overnight, with first-week orders topping 22,000. The body lineup grew from the launch hardtop and convertible to add the 2+2 fastback (renamed "SportsRoof" for 1969), and the engine range climbed from a base six to small-block 289/302 V8s and, by the end, big-block 390, 428 Cobra Jet, and 429 power in halo cars like the GT, Mach 1, Boss 302, Boss 429, and Boss 351. The car grew larger and heavier through 1973, the last year before the downsized Mustang II replaced it.
Photo: “Ford Mustang Coupe 1967 Ballina Golf Cub NSW L1030005” by John Robert McPherson / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0 . Cropped to 16:9.
1964½–1973
Overview
The original pony car. Ford launched the Mustang on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair — the famous "1964½" cars, titled as 1965s — and it created an entire long-hood, short-deck market segment almost overnight, with first-week orders topping 22,000. The body lineup grew from the launch hardtop and convertible to add the 2+2 fastback (renamed "SportsRoof" for 1969), and the engine range climbed from a base six to small-block 289/302 V8s and, by the end, big-block 390, 428 Cobra Jet, and 429 power in halo cars like the GT, Mach 1, Boss 302, Boss 429, and Boss 351. The car grew larger and heavier through 1973, the last year before the downsized Mustang II replaced it.
Milestones
Highlights
- Launched April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair; the earliest cars are the collectible "1964½" models, titled by Ford as 1965s.
- Defined the pony-car class — a long-hood/short-deck sporty coupe sold in record numbers.
- Body styles expanded from hardtop + convertible to add the 2+2 fastback in 1965, renamed "SportsRoof" for 1969.
- Home of the icons: GT, Mach 1, Boss 302, Boss 429, Boss 351, and the 428 Cobra Jet.
- 1973 was the final year of the original car before the downsized Mustang II arrived for 1974.
Model years in this generation