1965 Ford Mustang Group Nc/Tarmac Rally Prepared Coupe (RHD)

Description

An instant hit when launched midway through the 1964 season, Ford's Mustang was the original personal sports coupe and gave birth to the market segment known as ?Pony Cars?, one soon to be hotly contested by rivals from GM and Chrysler. Americans were clamouring for a domestic sporty two-door that came with plenty of style but one that was also affordable and could be driven on a daily basis. Inspired by the Mustang I concept vehicle, Lee Iacocca and his team designed the perfect car for the job. Through clever use of existing Falcon underpinnings the price was kept to affordable levels, while the incredible array of options, from drivetrain to trim levels, made the Mustang appealing to a wide spectrum of customers, including both men and women - a critical part of the original design brief. Ford hit on a winning formula with the first generation Mustang and the orders began flooding in, making this one of the most successful model launches in American automotive history. The Mustang was more than just a boulevard cruiser, proving itself equally at home on the racetrack right from the outset. As part of Ford's wider Total Performance programme, Mustangs were campaigned in all manner of events, including endurance racing, on the dragstrip and later in the hugely popular Trans-Am series. In Europe Alan Mann prepared a team of Mustangs for Continental rallying, resulting in a class win at the 1965 Tour de France while Stateside it was Carroll Shelby who developed the Mustang for racing, his GT350s dominating the SCCA B-Production class championship three years running between 1965 and 1967. Ford's Pony Car proved equally successful in Australia, being campaigned throughout the 1960s by a host of familiar names including Norm Beechey, Bob Jane, Ian Geoghegan and Alan Moffat, their exploits the stuff of legend. The Mustang remains an excellent proposition for historic racing today, being highly competitive, virtually bulletproof and with a plentiful supply of parts. Group Nc is one of the best-supported and most competitive motor sport categories in Australia and the Mustang the weapon of choice.