1964 Ford Mustang Fastback
That long, near-flat roofline running from the C-pillars to a short rear deck gave the fastback 2+2 a profile distinct from the notchback hardtop and convertible in the Mustang lineup.
Three chrome-trimmed air extractor vents set into each C-pillar sail panel are both a functional and identifying feature. It vented cabin air and marked the roofline’s transition to the rear deck in a way neither of the other body styles shared.
The 289 CI V8 paired with automatic transmission sat mid-range in a powertrain lineup that opened with an inline-six economy option and reached its upper limit with the 271-hp Hi-Po 289. An extensive factory options catalog meant equipment varied widely between cars.
Priced from around $2,589 at launch, the Mustang reached 250,000 sales by the end of calendar year 1964 and 524,791 in 1965. These figures left the rest of the US industry scrambling to produce competing designs that wouldn’t reach showrooms until 1966 and 1967.
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