Ford wanted the Mustang to be an affordable pony, and at some level, the car aligned with these expectations. Buyers who wanted a Mustang could stick with the six-cylinder hardtop and pay only $2,320 for the base configuration when sticking with the 3-speed manual transmission.
The convertible was more expensive at $2,557, while the 2+2 fastback that saw daylight in September carried a price tag of $2,553.
Eventually, Ford sold 680,989 Mustangs in the first year on the market, albeit it’s important to mention that the carmaker didn’t make a difference between what are generally referred to as 1964 1/2 Mustangs and 1965 model year iterations.
Ford offered no more, no less than 21 colors for 1965 Mustang buyers, and the example in these photos allegedly comes with the second rarest. It’s painted in Tropical Turquoise, and the people at Cruisin Classics claim the same finish was sprayed on only 1.6% of the Mustangs produced in 1965.
The car rolled off the assembly lines and was delivered to a buyer in Oklahoma City. The original owner sold the pony to a young soldier who didn’t get the chance to enjoy it much before being deployed to Vietnam. Unfortunately, the soldier never returned home, so his family parked the car in a barn and left it in the same place for 30 years. Someone else found the car, took it home, cleaned it, and got it up and running, properly caring for it.
The car still wears the original vinyl top, body panels, glass, white vinyl interior, dash, and AM radio. It exhibits an amazing condition, albeit it’s not exactly a perfect 10 pony. It still requires subtle repairs, including stains on the rear bench, light wear on the door panels, a small hole in the driver’s seat, and the horn no longer working.
The engine under the hood could make some people walk away, but it’s important to remember that this Mustang is a rare pony with a great history and ready for the road. The vehicle sports a 200ci six-cylinder engine with 120 horsepower, and the garage says there are signs that this is the original unit. You’ll have to check everything in person if you want to take this Mustang home, but hats off to Cruisin Classics for sharing a highly detailed description of everything you’ll find on the car.
The selling price makes sense, considering it’s a great Mustang with a disappointing mill under the hood. The garage will let the car go for $15K, and you can see it in person in Columbus, Ohio. I strongly recommend buyers to check out the full description (I embedded it in the box after the jump) before appointing a live inspection so that you know what else to ask when you meet the car in person.