The first generation of the Mustang gained a worldwide cult-car status, and the convertible version became a hit just as much as the fastback version. 

 

A total of 559,451 Mustangs were produced for the 1965 model year. The hardtop was the big seller in 1965 with 410,260 units sold, with convertible and fastback body style both in the mid 70k unit mark.

 

The original pony-car and the wild horse badge on its grille helped the car be recognized at a glance. Ford designed the Mustang for the younger generation. It was available either as a three-box sedan coupe grocery-getter with a six-cylinder under the hood or with a big V8 engine that could tear-up the tarmac and impress your friends. Regardless of the engine choice, the Mustang was a highly customizable vehicle.

The top-down version featured a power-roof that required some manual work to place a vinyl cover over the retracted canvas behind the rear seats. It was an era where a car had to show some drama to be taken into consideration by the market, and the Mustang convertible had it all: the easy to recognize front fascia, the open-top, and the specific tail lights in the back with three vertical light strips. On its sides, a subtle combination of lines converged toward the rear quarter panels.

There were two bucket seats in the front with a floor-mounted gear shift and a backbench. In front of the driver, the complete dash-panel with its four round dials and a wide speedometer completed the image of that special car.

Ford offered the Mustang convertible with a wide choice of engines, starting with a low-powered inline-six that offered just 100 hp while the other option was a 4.3-liter V8 good for 164 hp. In the second half of 1964, Ford replaced these engines with a 3.3-liter and a 4.7-liter that offered 120hp and 210 hp, respectively.