On April 17th, 1964 the very first Mustang model was released to the broad public.  The day prior Ford had been running commercials on every major television network, there were ads as well as articles running in both newspapers and magazines.  The new Mustang was called ” The Ferrari for the Masses” by the media.  The Mustang was special for many reason but one very unique feature was that it was the only car ever to be “Designed to be designed by you”.  Here is the original commercial which ran on ABC, NBC and CBS at 9:30 the evening prior.

 The new Mustang had an incredible list of options.  The buyer could make their own Mustang as plain and economical or as flashy and powerful as they wanted.   The original 1964 1/2 Mustang was available in two models, the coupe or the convertible. You could choose from 3 engine sizes and 2 different transmissions and other mechanical and cosmetic options.  Here is what the first 1964  Mustang ever produced looked like:The public reaction to this new original, powerful and unique car was absolute pandemonium.  At this point in history there had never been a car with the price, style and marketing of the Mustang and “availability” of the Mustang.  A true - “Ferrari for the Masses” as the media had put it. There were ford dealers who had to close their doors to avoid an actual “crush” of other customers.  One fellow slept overnight in his new car while his check cleared because he feared his car would be stolen off the lot.  In a San Franciscan Ford showroom a mesmerized truckdriver even crashed through a showroom window while staring at the new car. It was the right car for the right time.  It had the power and styling of a sports car, room for friends and appealed to the young and the young at heart.  The symbol of the wild horse was a symbol of freedom. Taking home a new Mustang was not easy however.  The initial stocks sold out and another 2 orders were placed on the first day.  Dealers ended up buying from other dealers making little profit, a 2 month wait period for delivery was normal.  Many dealerships had to close thier doors when the rush was too great.  Estimates claimed as many as four million people went to a Ford Dealer on the first weekend of the Mustang’s release alone.  By the end of the Mustangs first anniversary on April 17th 1965 Ford had sold approximately 418,812 Mustangs. In comparison, the Mustangs competition - the Barracuda -  which had been released by Plymouth 16 days before the Mustang sold a total of 23, 443 in its first year of production.