 | Flick01 (71)
03/27/2006 |  This is the car that started it all and gave rise to the term "pony car" which is exemplified by the long hood and short trunk. Until 1964 the only sports car made by an American manufacturer was the Corvette which was either too pricey or as a two seater, not practical for a mass market. Until the 1960s, high performance American cars used to be full sized cars such as Chevrolet Impalas and Ford Galaxies. Although the 1964 Pontiac GTO can make the claim of being the first "less than full size" high performance car it had not yet come into its own because General Motors executives did not want to build the GTO as we came to know it so it was sold as a LeMans with the GTO option package. What made the 1965 Mustang so popular was it's low price, sporty car looks and a list of options that made the car whatever you wanted it to be, whether it was a bare bones six cylinder with no extras, an almost luxurious sedan with decor options,which included lighting packages, special "pony" interior, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, and all kinds of accessories ranging from tissue dispensers to a lever and cable operated trunk release, to a high performance semi muscle car. On the performance side you could step up to the GT package which included driving lights, disc brakes, heavier duty suspension, a quicker ratio steering box, and the 4 barrel version of the standard 289 with dual exhaust. All body styles could be had with the 289 High Performance engine which included a nodular block and crankshaft, larger connecting rod bolts, a more accurate way of balancing the crankshaft, a solid lifter camshaft, screw in rocker arm studs, and it even came with a special travel limiting engine mount to prevent the mounts from breaking on hard acceleration. Except for some stripes, badges, and a few other visible options a 6 cylinder no bones plain jane looked pretty much like its luxury or high performance brothers. Whether you were on a budget or had money to burn there was a Mustang to fit your lifestyle. Add that to the fresh sporty styling lacking in all American cars except for the Corvette (and to a lesser degree the GTO) and you had a sporty car built for the masses. The sales figures from 1964 through 1966 bear that out as well as stories of people sleeping in the showroom until their checks cleared, truck drivers who drove through showroom windows while staring at the car, and shops which could not lower the car from the lifts because of the crowds that had gathered underneath. There was never a car before, and there hasn't been once since, which has captured the hearts and imagination of people and yet was within reach of the average person. It was one of the few cars which could claim to be all things to all people and it succeeded beyond everyone's prediction even at Ford Motor Company.
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