1965 Ford Mustang Fastback: Taking America in Galloping Strides

"Mustang fever" swept across America in 1964 when Ford unleashed an entirely new brand of roadster with unbridled spirit - the pony car. Named for the World War II-era P-51 fighter plane, the Ford Mustang was a car with a kick and when it hit the market there was nothing like it.

The sporty 2+2 fastback came out in 1965 to round out a trio with the Mustang hardtop coupe and convertible. The potent 4-barrel Hi-Performance 271 hp 289ci V8 put in the wild performance to match the sharp looks, and according to Muscle Car, Carroll Shelby based the legendary GT-350, the Corvette beater, on the Fastback.

The Mustang's frenetic acceptance was spurred with a low base price of $2,368, achieved by using much of the chassis, suspension and drivetrain from the Ford Falcon, but with the industry's first "torque box" structural system, along with a list of options for fully customizing.

According to "Ford Mustang Fastback with Cammer Engine" on the Net Car Show website, the Mustang lineup in 1965 included a new 200ci 120 hp, the 289ci with either a 2-barrel 200 hp or 4-barrel 225 hp, and finally the HP 289, with high-lift camshaft, solid valve lifters, and chrome-plated valve stems, all for just $443. All the Mustang V-8's used the "thinwall" design, making them the lightest and liveliest iron-block V-8's in the industry, according to Consumer Guide Auto Editors. They came with a 3-speed manual transmission, a Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed manual, or Ford's 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic.

Mustang Forums points out the longer hood, swept-back rear glass and distinctive ventilation louvers, chrome-wrapped fenders, and racing horse on the grille that gave the pony car exterior a stylish, ready-to-race look, with a range of colors to satisfy more than a half million Mustang drivers.