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The Mustang was initially offered in a hardtop and a convertible. The fastback or the most distinctive features of the Mustang GT were the grille-mounted fog lamps. any side ornamentation on the rear quarter panels. 2+2 as it was called, was not introduced until September 1964.
The 2+2 really added to the Mustang's magic. The Mustang continued to be available in these three body styles until the 1973 model year. In part, the Mustang was so successful because of its pricing. A two-door hardtop had a suggested retail price of $2,320.86. For that you got a 170 ci six-cylinder engine rated at 101 hp mated to a three-speed manual transmission with a floor shifter; in fact, all Mustangs have floor-mounted shifters. Manual steering with a slow 27:1 ratio and manual drum brakes measuring nine inches were standard. Standard tires were black wall 6.50X13 mounted on four-lug thirteen-inch rims (on V-8s, fourteen-inch rims replaced the thirteen inchers after September 1964).
Obviously, such a Mustang would not be much fun to drive. Front suspension was independent, with coil springs mounted over the upper A-arm. |
Rear suspension was a solid axle on leaf springs; basic but dependable.
For the interior, bucket seats were standard equipment with a bench seat optional. Initially, the interior was available in five different all-vinyl colors, with the hardtops also getting two additional cloth-and-vinyl combinations, black or palomino. The cloth and-vinyl interiors were phased out in the summer of 1964. Molded rayon/nylon carpets were standard equipment. The mustang in standard form provided just the basics of transportation in a pleasing body. The prospective customer was offered and encouraged to personalize his or her Mustang with a large and ever increasing selection of options. The 170 ci six-cylinder with its anemic performance was replaced by a larger 200 ci six in the fall of 1964. Both were based on the original 144 ci six that powered the 1960 Falcon. The 200 featured seven main bearings (four were used on the 144 and 170) that provided additional strength. The 200 ci six continued as the standard Mustang engine until 1970. |
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