What’s your favorite first-gen Ford Mustang color? Are you a Wimbledon White kind of guy, or do you prefer flashier hues like Poppy Red, Acapulco Blue, or Grabber Orange? I have a thing for 1969 and 1970 colors because they included Ford’s equivalent of Mopar’s “hi-impact” palette. I’m talking about hues like Gulfstream Aqua, Indian Fire Red, Silver Jade, Medium Lime, and Calypso Coral.
Don’t get me wrong, early Mustangs were also available in nice colors, but they were a bit more restrained. There are a few exceptions, though. I like the Prairie Bronze that Ford offered in 1964 and 1965 and the Emberglo that became available on the pony car in 1966. The latter is actually a one-year-only color, and it’s relatively uncommon compared to other hues offered that year.
If you’re also a fan of Emberglo, you’ll definitely love the ‘Stang in the video below. Not only is it one of the finest-looking examples in this color, thanks to a rotisserie restoration, but it also comes with a cool two-tone interior. The latter not only combines Emberglo and Parchment into an eye-catching combo but also includes the Deluxe Pony seat trim with embossed mustang inserts. This cabin screams 1960s!
But there’s even better news under the hood. Because this Mustang is not a boring Thriftpower inline-six rig. It’s not even a regular small-block V8 classic because the 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) lump packs HiPo goodies. Yup, that’s a beefed-up K-code engine with a four-barrel carburetor initially rated at 271 horsepower and 312 pound-feet (423 Nm) of torque. Sure, it may not sound like a lot compared to the V8 Ford offered in the following years, but the K-code HiPo was the most potent Mustang engine in 1966.
I’m obviously talking about standard Mustangs because the Shelby GT350 came with an even more powerful version of the K-code small block. Equipped with a Holley carb and a high-riser intake manifold, the GT350 came with 306 horsepower and 329 pound-feet (446 Nm) of twist on tap. But you know what? This Emberglo pony also rocks a “Cobra” aluminum intake, so it’s almost a GT350 in disguise. How cool is that? Oh, did I mention the K-code mates to a four-speed manual for row-your-own fun?
So how rare is an Emberglo one-year-wonder like this one? Well, that’s tough to tell since pre-1967 Mustangs don’t have Marti reports. 1966 was also the Mustang’s all-time best-selling year with 607,568 units, so chances are the Embeglo finish was applied to at least a few thousand cars. On the flip side, this ‘Stang is a fastback, a body style that wasn’t very popular in 1966. Specifically, only about 35,000 customers went with the sleek roof.
Furthermore, the K-code engine is a relatively rare gem, with only 5,469 units dropped into Mustangs in 1966. That’s less than 1% of total production, meaning fewer than 350 fastbacks may have left the assembly line with this unit that year. I’m just taking guesses here, but I’m pretty sure fewer than 50 were finished in Emberglo.