With some help from the Plymouth Barracuda introduced a few weeks prior, Ford’s new Mustang had launched the all-new ponycar segment in 1965 (or 1964-1/2, if you want to be precise). The Mustang set the benchmark for style, performance, and options in the field, and quickly established itself as the horse to beat.
How popular was it? In its first 18 months of production, Ford cranked out a million Mustangs, cementing it as a runaway hit for the FoMoCo.
But by 1967, the cat…errr horse….was out of the bag.
Mopar had radically redesigned its Barracuda to entice would-be Mustang customers and General Motors had just introduced its own ponycars, the Camaro/Firebird twins. Even AMC was getting into the game, with the Javelin set to launch in 1968.
To counter this new competition, the Mustang got its first significant styling updates, featuring a new concave rear taillight panel and larger grille. The interior was refreshed as well, boasting improved passenger amenities (perhaps foreshadowing the Mustang’s transformation into a luxury tourer in the early 1970s).
Gearheads will also note that 1967 was the first year you could get a Ford FE-series big block in your Mustang, the 390 c.i.d. variant rated at 320 horsepower. The high-performance 289 was cranking out a potent 271 hp as well.
Some regard the 1967 as the high-water mark for first-gen Mustang styling, and this notchback that rolled into Summit Racing’s Tallmadge, Ohio retail store does a lot to support that opinion.
It’s sporting a slick custom paint job and a set of genuine Cragar S/S wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson rubber. The chrome and paint are excellent and the body is laser-straight.
Was the 1967 the best of the first-gen Mustangs? Let us know what you think.
Wow that brings back memories I had one painted with white stripes. But with grey cast keystone mags with red pinstripe tires.
I had 67 and 68s fastback and coupes. The thing about those cars were the 390 and 4 speeds that I found indestructible. I put a solid cam in all of them, thinner head gaskets., Early style C6AER heads and a MR aluminum intake, headers and a 3310 750 Holley. Some I even converted to 410a like the 66-67 Mercury Marauders only with 11:1 cr forged pistons, ARP hardware and headers . Son of a bitch those things would run! Just good old hot rodding turned them from plow horses to thoroughbreds. They lived the compression and the Lunati solid cams. 7000+ rpm’s and I never broke a single one. They were punk ass adolescent 427s lol! A real blast to build and torture thatc4 speed. Man it brings back memories!