1967 Ford Mustang Hardtop. Dec 06

With an extra fuel tank, it made the first single-engined-aircraft crossing of the North Pole from Norway to Alaska.
That Mustang, the P51, predated Ford's Mustang by 20 years or more. The car Mustang was launched in 1964; 2 months after the Beatles first topped the charts in the USA, and a year after Kennedy died in Dallas.

By this time, Ford's Thunderbird had grown to a full 4 seater and the rest of the Ford range fell into the big or really big categories.
The Mustang was clearly aimed at what we now call the baby boomer market - early Twenties, cashed up and no need for space for a baby carriage (same crowd today except early Sixties, cashed up and no need for space for a baby carriage).

There was a fair bit of rebellion in it, too. This market no longer wanted anything like Mom and Pop drove.

Of course, it shared much of its pedigree with Ford's compact of the day, the Falcon. Initially sold as a 2 door hardtop or convertible it was joined after a year by the 2 + 2 fastback.

There were plenty of engine options, from the lame 2.8 litre straight six that barely managed 100 bhp, to the high compression K-code 4.7 litre V8 that pumped out a very respectable 270 bhp. Transmission was 3 or 4-speed manual with the option of a 3-speed auto.
A second generation make over was introduced to cover the 67-68 production years, and this is where our test car fits in. The body was all new but 90 out of 100 wouldn't know it. Length was up 50mm, the grille was bigger, side scallops deeper and there were changes to lights and interior, also. New on the menu was a Big Block 6.4 litre V8 for those who felt they needed it.

The hardtop for sale at Auto Gallery is a fresh import and still LHD. Remarkably, it is a one-owner vehicle and has done only 65,000 miles. The owner is now 83 so he must have been a pre-baby-boomer baby. It goes to show that good cars sell to all ages! The best news is that it is well looked after, so this one is all set to go - no never-ending restoration required. The other good news is that it comes with a whole range of desirable goodies in the form of interior and exterior décor packages.

Duco is lime green, capped off with a black vinyl roof as part of the exterior décor group package. This car also comes with a "breather" bonnet with built in turn-signal indicators, pop-open fuel cap, special wheel cutout mouldings and rear deck mouldings.
To match the lime green, the interior is ivy gold (just kidding about the matching thing!) It is in excellent condition, howwever. Everything that should be there is, and everything that should work does.

The interior décor group package brings a whole load of goodies like an overhead console containing map lights, full-width dash console, brushed aluminium dress up panels and a generally higher level of trim.

Other good-to-have options are the factory air conditioning and the steering wheel that tilts and swings inwards to allow for easier entry/exit. It's also adjustable to nine different up-and-down positions so there should be no trouble in getting the wheel to a suitable angle.
The driver's seat is comfortable in the American fashion, and everything falls nicely to hand once seated at the wheel. The engine runs very sweetly, and the T-bar transmission looks after gear changing as it should. The 200 horses of this "2-barrel" engine are adequate, if not terrible exciting, but the overall driving experience is everything you would expect from a Sixties Mustang - great fun to throw at a corner, very comfortable to cruise in, and just great fun to own.

A new owner will have the option of converting to RHD. This will depend on personal preference and State laws. As a weekend cruiser, it wouldn't be too much of a hindrance to keep it as a left hooker.
If you are thinking of buying a US import, there are not too many around better than this. A Corvette is the most likely alternative.
Trevor West

WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & HOW MUCH
Model: Ford Mustang hardtop
Year:1967
Dealer:Auto Gallery
51 Brisbane Road
Labrador, QLD, 4215
Ph: (07) 5500 5600

Price: $29,000
0-100 kph:Around 10 seconds
Best point: One 83-year-old owner and the decor packages
Worst point: Left hand drive
Recommendation: As good an original as you will find anywhere

Trivia: Only 15% of all 1967 Mustangs were sold with a vinyl roof and a mere 16% were fitted with air conditioning. This one got both!