1966 Ford Mustang Convertible

The Ford Mustang was conceived in the full knowledge that in the mid-'60s the biggest population bubble in history was now coming of age in America, "baby boomers' would rule the '60s and there was little or no reason to think they wanted to drive cars that were anything like the ones their parents owned.

The iconic Ford Mustang, therefore, created a storm when it hit the streets and it still does to this day. Ford wanted to make the Mustang affordable and consequently it needed to share much of its engineering with an existing Ford product. They decided to base the Mustang on the smallest US Ford at the time, the Falcon. The Mustang was initially offered as either a "notchback' coupé or convertible. It shared its front double-wishbone/coil spring and leaf spring rear suspension with the Falcon. Compared to the Falcon the cockpit sat further back on the chassis, resulting in a longer front end and shorter rear end design, both its roof and bonnet were also lower in comparison. It's with those proportions and detailed with such iconic touches as the galloping horse in the grille, the cut-away side detailing and the rear lights divided into three sections, that the Mustang became a car that people were instantly passionate about.The 1966 Mustang debuted with moderate trim changes including a new grille, side ornamentation, wheel covers and fuel cap. Previously optional features, including the round gauges and padded sun visors, became standard equipment. The Mustang convertible would turn out to be the best selling car of its type in 1966, with 72,119 sold, beating the Impala by almost 2:1.

Offered here is a traditional, first generation, left-hand drive example in Deep Red with a black leather interior. Manufactured in 1966 and later imported to the UK in the 70s, the car has recently undergone a full nut and bolt 'rotisserie' restoration and upgrade (July 2012) by a leading Mustang expert. This extensive restoration included; modern power rack & pinion steering, upgraded braking system, full leather interior and high-quality mohair electric roof and, as a result, the car is rust free and mechanically sound. It is always difficult to describe the quality of a restoration but you can be sure that a 'rotisserie' rebuild is often that touch more detailed, as it's considerably easier carrying out re-assembly and painting when everything is at arm's length and easy to see clearly. Have a look at the photos of the underside of this lovely Mustang and you'll see what we mean. Full details of all the work carried out are with the car.

With its 5-speed manual gearbox and rumbling '289', this feisty Mustang should deliver a great, top down, driving experience, and provide all the atmosphere of a 'Pony Car' on Route 66.