On April 17, 1964, Ford unveiled the Mustang. In doing so, the Ford Motor Company not only had its most successful launch since the Model A, but also created a whole new class of automobiles: pony cars.
Because of the timing of the model introduction, that first Mustang is commonly referred to as a 1964-1/2, although the VIN numbers on the cars classify them as 1965 models.
While the car was in production, a number of names were considered for the model, including Cougar, Torino and T-Bird II (Henry Ford II’s choice), but focus groups overwhelmingly preferred Mustang. Because the name Mustang was already in use in Germany by both a truck and a moped manufacturer, the car we know as a Mustang was sold in Germany as a T-5 until 1978.
If you’re up for it, you can find Mustangs of all years in both Automobiles and Antique Autos & Parts.