Ford Mustang Fastback

Ford Mustang Fastback at a glance

The Mustang was the car that created the "pony car" class: compact, sporty and cheap to buy, with a long bonnet, a short rear deck and a huge list of options. Lee Iacocca, then general manager of the Ford Division, championed the project. Before the launch at the 1964 World's Fair the press coverage was so intense that some dealers had to lock their doors to control the crowds, according to period accounts. The full story of the model is told in the history of the Ford Mustang.

Joe Oros came up with the idea of a fastback, and Charlie Phaneuf's studio designed it; Gale Halderman later recalled that the car was built in secret. The fastback has a steeply raked roof, unique rear glass and deck lid, and a fold-down rear seat that turns the back into a long load area, which is why Ford marketed it as a 2+2.

From the 200 six to the 428 Cobra Jet

All power figures of the period are gross ratings, measured without accessories, so they are higher than modern net figures.

The K-code 289 is the most sought-after small-block: it has solid lifters, high-flow heads and aluminium pistons. The six came with a three-speed manual, V8s offered a four-speed manual, and the Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic was available with the 225 bhp V8. The suspension uses coil springs at the front and leaf springs on a live rear axle, as on the Falcon. Compared with the 200 bhp 289, the K-code produces 53 kW more.

Body, cabin and equipment

The 1965 fastback's interior had vinyl front bucket seats, a thin-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel and simple round gauges. From mid-1965 the Pony Interior added embossed running ponies on the seat backs, upgraded door panels, wood-grain trim and a five-gauge instrument cluster. The GT Equipment Package of 1965 brought fog lamps in the grille, rocker-panel stripes, a handling package and front disc brakes.

The 1967 redesign made the car larger, with a wider track to take big-block V8s, and the fastback roofline now ran in one sweep to the tail. The 1968 model kept that shape with minor changes.

Production numbers by year

The 1965 total includes 121,538 cars built in calendar 1964 with 1965 serial numbers. In 1966 the Mustang passed one million units overall.

Shelby, Bullitt and the screen

The 1965 Shelby GT350 was built only as a fastback, and later Shelby models, including the 1967 Shelby GT500, stayed with the body; Shelby's own story is told separately. The most famous fastback is the modified 1968 Mustang GT 2+2 driven by Steve McQueen's character in Bullitt, which chases a Dodge Charger through San Francisco. A 1967 fastback also appears in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), where it races in the mountains.

1960s safety and modern upgrades

Like other cars of the 1960s, the original Mustang has no crash-test rating, and its protection is basic by modern standards. Front disc brakes were part of the 1965 GT package; owners who drive their cars regularly often fit disc-brake conversions and other modern upgrades.

Rivals: how the Mustang fastback compares

The Mustang reached the market first and sold far more: its 1966 total of 607,568 cars was well ahead of any rival. Compare it with later muscle cars in the 1cars comparison tool, browse the 1960s classics section or look up data in the specifications section.