1965 Mustang 2+2 Fastback
O ne of the most influential cars in the world made its debut in April 1964, with the arrival of the Ford Mustang. But it wasn’t until months later that the 1965 Mustang 2+2 Fastback arrived on the scene – a car that is still having repercussions today.
The Mustang Fastback was the first true pony car and had styling to boot. The swooping roofline and two-plus-two seating were unprecedented at the time. It also was the first American car to have a fold-down rear seat, which enabled it to become a two-seater, and look more like a Corvette.
Moreover, the combination of available engines, which included a six-cylinder, a 260 cubic inch V-8, a 289 cubic inch V-8 engine and 271-horsepower high-performance V8, appealed to enthusiasts of all sorts. Carroll Shelby also got in the act producing even more powerful, ready-to-race versions. –Larry Sanata
SPECS:
Price: $12,000 to $50,000.
Engine: SOHV V-8
Horsepower: 121-271
Torque: 304 at 2800 rpm (271 hp engine)
Top Speed: 115-125 mph
Photos and VIDEO at right. Full specs and review under the ARTICLE tab above.
O ne of the most influential cars in the world made its debut in April 1964, with the arrival of the Ford Mustang. But it wasn’t until months later that the 1965 Mustang 2+2 Fastback arrived on the scene – a car that is still having repercussions today.
“That ‘65 fastback set the precedent for all Mustangs down the line, and it’s still quite evident today in 2007,” says Ted Diller, a longtime restorer and collector of the indomitable Mustang. He also holds the equivalent of four world records for selling Mustang Fastbacks.
In 2004, his 1967 Shelby GT 500 fetched more than $300,000 at a Barrett Jackson auction. Over the next three years, he sold three other fastback Mustangs for equally astonishing sums of money, including a cool half-million dollars for a 1968½ Cobra Jet.
Despite his incredible success, Diller is the first to pay homage to the 1965 Mustang Fastback, a number of which he owned himself.
“Without that fastback car, there would be no Cobra Jet, no Boss car, no Mach 1, which are all fastback cars. “
The Mustang was the first true pony car, which also had styling to boot. The swooping roofline and two-plus-two seating were unprecedented at that time, and not surprisingly the car took the world by storm.
Making this model even better, Diller says, was an assortment of engines and transmissions. Along with Dads and Moms, and college students buying new Mustangs in record numbers, serious-minded street racers were enamored with the cars.
“The hot rodders would trick out the hot V8 with a four speed and a wild gear ratio, and they were ready to take on almost anybody out on the street.”
The Mustang fastback also featured a lot of firsts, Diller recalls. For instance, it was the first American car to have a fold-down rear seat, which enabled it to become a two-seater “to look more like the Corvette.”
While the car-buying market has shown greater interest in later Mustang muscle cars in recent years, Diller says there are still lots of opportunities to buy a great-looking and great-running early fastback.
Expect to pay between $35,000 and $40,000 in today’s market. That’s with a 289-cubic inch engine, four-barrel carburetor and four-speed transmission. But don’t give up hope if you can’t lay your hands on what you want immediately.
“There are jewels still found every day,” Diller says.
By Lawrence Sanata. Photos courtesy of Michael Sanata and Ford Motor Company.
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