In 1965-6 the Mustang achieved it earliest racing successes
at the drag strip. Ford Motor Company was already dominating
the drag circuit with bigger cars like the Thunderbolt, so a
lightweight car with a shorter wheelbase and weighing a thousand
pounds less was a natural winner. Bob Tasca Ford of Providence,
Rhode Island, which had long been known as a performance-car
dealer, had successfully campaigned a big-block engined Thunderbolt
before adopting the Mustang. When Tasca took the same big-block
engines and shoehorned them into Mustangs, the cars were highly
successful in their class at National Hot Rod Association events
around the country.Other famous race teams, including those
of drag-racing legends Gas Rhonda and Les Ritchey, also dominated
with Mustangs. (Patrick Covert, Ultimate Mustang)
1965 Mustang GT
The First Mustang GT models were introduced in April 1965.
With such a premium on performance at that time, Ford believed
a racier model to be a sure bet. The GT formula was simple:
equip Mustangs with a fiesty V-8, throw in a variety of performance
features, and wrap it all up in racy cosmetics. The 1965 Mustang
GT was available in all three body styles: hardtop, convertible,
and 2+2 fastback. Two optional V-8 engines were offered with
the GT with either 225 or 271 hp and a choice of a three or
four speed manual, or a Cruise-O-Matic. Other performance components
included heavy-duty suspension, front disc brakes, and a special
dashboard instrument cluster that became standard in 1966. The
GT was dressed up with stripes on the lower body sides, fog
lamps, and dual exhaust tips, and complementary emblems on the
front fenders. The GT package was available for $165.03, and
amount that cannot buy a single option today. (Patrick Covert,
Ultimate Mustang)
1966 Mustang Convertible
Ford adopted a "why mess with success" attitude for
the 1966 production model, making only minor changes to the
Mustang. The now-famous galloping horse emblem and corral surround
became free-floating on horizontal grille bars, creating a sleeker
front view than previous years. A slight varation to the scallop
side trim and a restyled gas cap completed the exterior changes.
On the interior, the insturment panel was redesigned with five
round gauges: a large central speedometer, fuel gauge, oil pressure
gauge, ammeter, and a coolant temperature gauge. Although the
Mustang hardtop model outsold the convertible, the rag top was
still a hot seller. More than 70,000 Mustang convertibles were
sold in the 1966 model year. A base model convertible could
be for about $50 less than the price of a fastback, so it was
an attractive buy. Perhaps that was why the convertible outsold
the fastback nearly three to one. (Patrick Covert, Ultimate
Mustang)
