Having one pre-production 1965 Ford Mustang convertible at auction would be a cool deal, but how about two of them at the same auction? That’s the case with Mecum’s sale in Glendale, Arizona, in March, when two pre-production Ford Mustang convertibles – both red, one with a white top, the other with a black top – will be auctioned.
The two Mustangs have a few other things in common, too. They are both multiple award winners at Mustang club events, Mecum says, and are both powered by 260cid V8 engines, predecessors of the iconic 289, and linked to automatic transmissions.
The Mustangs are also in sequential order, with serial numbers 139 and 140, and both have been restored to concours standards, according to Mecum.
Considered to be 1964½ Mustangs, as the original pony cars were launched midyear, they are called 1965 Mustangs in the Mecum catalog. There were about 180-200 pre-production Mustangs built by Ford in February and March 1964 before they were officially rolled out, but it’s believed that only 15 still exist worldwide. These are two of them.
“Typical of the period, the pre-production Mustangs served a wide variety of purposes, including dealer advertising, press releases, executive employee use, engineering and crash testing, and even promotional duties at the 1964 World’s Fair,” Mecum says. “Pre-production Mustangs were also used to establish assembly procedures and guide engineering revisions, often resulting in the use of hand-fabricated parts and other details particular to each car.”
The Mustangs are authentic pre-production models, Mecum says, as evidenced by their serial numbers, door tags, 1963 frame dates, hand-formed components, unique wire-loom labeling and known histories.
The black-roofed convertible, number 139, was built in March 1964, according to the door tag, and after being used by the factory, it was sold through a Nebraska dealership to a physician, who drove it through 1983, and then stored it for the following 33 years. He sold it to his property manager, who refreshed it mechanically and cosmetically, and then drove it sparingly for the next two years.
The Mustang was sold in 2018 to its current owner, who had it professionally restored in Ohio, after which it went on to win several prestigious awards, including first-place honors at the 2019 Antique Automobile Club of America’s Eastern Nationals in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The white-roofed Mustang, number 140, has a similar 3-owner history. After completing its pre-production duties, the convertible was sold in 1967 to its first private owner, who owned the car for 39 years before transferring it to his son, who owned it briefly until 2006.
The car was sold to its third owner, who had the Mustang subjected to a documented professional nut-and-bolt restoration to concours standards. It went on to win a string of high honors, including best of class at the 2009 Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance, and gold awards at Mustang club meets.
Each of these rare early Mustangs will be auctioned separately during Mecum’s sale March 16-19 at State Farm Stadium – where the Arizona Cardinals play NFL games. For more information, visit the Mecum website.
Why is the 260 blue? I know for 1965, the 289’s were black with gold valve covers and air cleaner.
My name is Gustavo Matus,live in Israel.
I’m interested in the Mustang,what i need to do to offer a price?
And how can I do it?