GEN on the dash
The 1964½ has a generator. Ford fitted an alternator from the start of the 1965 model year, so the warning light to the right of the odometer reads GEN on a 1964½ and ALT on a 1965.59
Class of '64½ · Ford Mustang · 1964½–1966 body · first generation
1964½Ford Mustang
The first Mustangs, built from March to August 1964 and sold as 1965 models: 121,538 hardtops and convertibles.
The year in brief
Ford sold the Mustangs built between March and 17 August 1964 as 1965 models. Enthusiasts call them 1964½, and Maine Mustang and CJ Pony Parts list the 121,538 cars apart from the 1965 total.123
Production began on 9 March 1964, and the car was introduced on 17 April at the New York World's Fair.5one source
Mustang serial number one, 5F08F100001, came from the pre-production batch and was sold on 14 April 1964 at a dealer in St. John's, Newfoundland.5one source
There were two bodies, a hardtop and a convertible. The fastback followed with the 1965 model year. Hardtops made up 76.3 percent of the cars.12
The base engine was the U-code 170 six from the Falcon, and the base V8 the F-code 260 from the Fairlane. Both were gone by the time the regular 1965 cars arrived in August 1964.45
The story of the year
Launch day
Henry Ford II unveiled the Mustang at the New York World's Fair on 17 April 1964, and the car went on sale in Ford showrooms across the country the same day. Buyers ordered about 22,000 on that first day.567
The night before, Mustang commercials ran at the same time on all three major US television networks, and the car made the covers of both Time and Newsweek.6one source
A Mustang paced the 1964 Indianapolis 500, its first public appearance on a race track, and the same year one appeared in the James Bond film Goldfinger.368
Ford sold more than 400,000 Mustangs in the car's first year, far more than it had expected.36
How to spot a 1964½
What tells it apart from a 1965.
The first engines
The base engines were a 170 cu in six (VIN code U) and a 260 cu in V8 (code F). On the 1965 they gave way to a 200 cu in six (T) and a 289 V8 (C).1510
Hardtop or convertible
The 1964½ was built as a hardtop or a convertible. The fastback joined the line for the 1965 model year.59
No hood molding
The front edge of the 1964½ hood has no chrome molding; the 1965 has one. Some early 1965s left the factory without it, so a missing molding does not prove a 1964½, but a molding rules it out.911one source
Battery vents
With the hood up, the radiator core support on the passenger side has three extra vents for the battery on a 1964½. They are gone on the 1965.9one source
Colour-keyed lock knobs
The inside door lock knobs match the interior color on a 1964½; the 1965 has chrome knobs. Knobs may have been swapped since, so treat this as a hint, not proof.911one source
Production12
121,538 cars, by body.
Every trim line
| Body | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Hardtop | Standard | 92,705 |
| All hardtops | 92,705 | |
| Convertible | Standard | 28,833 |
| All convertibles | 28,833 | |
| Total | 121,538 | |
Maine Mustang prints the hardtop figure as «92.705».
Engines145
4 engines. The letter is the engine code in the VIN.
The K-code is not in Maine Mustang's list; CJ Pony Parts and Wikipedia both list it for 1964.
Price when new1one source
Base retail prices in 1964½ dollars, before options.
Colors12one source
19 factory colors, by number of cars. 15 of the 19 color names are confirmed by a second source112; the swatches are approximate screen colors, not paint matches.
Wimbledon WhiteM
Rangoon RedJ
Raven BlackA
Caspian BlueH
Prairie BronzeP
Poppy Red3
Guardsman BlueF
Vintage BurgundyX
Skylight BlueY
Cascade GreenS
Sunlit YellowV
Silversmoke GrayK
Pagoda GreenB
Dynasty GreenD
Champagne BeigeI
Tropical TurquoiseO
Chantilly BeigeZ
Pace Car WhiteC
Phoenician Yellow8
CJ Pony Parts lists 19 colors. 18 of them add up to 121,475 cars, 99.9 percent of production; for Phoenician Yellow it gives only «less than 600». Maine Mustang lists 15 of the same names; Pace Car White, Champagne Beige, Tropical Turquoise and Chantilly Beige appear only in CJ Pony Parts' list. Maine Mustang also lists Twilight Turquoise, which CJ Pony Parts gives only for 1965. Maine Mustang spells Sunlit Yellow «Sunlight Yellow». The counts come from one source.
Reading the VIN14
A 1964½ VIN has 11 characters. Type one in, and the decoder reads it against the code tables on this page.
5F08F10000115 · Mustang serial number one: a 1965 model from Dearborn, a convertible with the 260 V8, unit 100001.
The code table
| Position | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 | Model year (1965) |
| F · R · T | Plant: Dearborn · San Jose · Metuchen |
| 07 · 08 | Body: hardtop · convertible |
| U · F · D · K | Engine code (table above) |
| 100001 → | Consecutive unit number |
Where to find it: Under the hood, on top of the driver's-side fender apron, as on all 1965 models.13one source
Questions about the 1964½
How many 1964½ Ford Mustangs were made?
121,538 by the count we use: 92,705 hardtops, 28,833 convertibles. The sources disagree on the total; the ruling on this page explains which figure we show and why.12sources disagree
How can you tell a 1964½ Mustang from a 1965?
Six signs, each explained under «How to spot» on this page: GEN on the dash; the first engines; hardtop or convertible; no hood molding; battery vents; colour-keyed lock knobs.1591011
What engines did the 1964½ Ford Mustang have?
Four engine codes, from the 170 cu in inline-six to the 289 cu in V8. The engine table on this page gives every code and rating, and the rulings cover the disputed ones.145
How much did a 1964½ Ford Mustang cost new?
Base retail prices, before options: hardtop $2,320; convertible $2,557.1one source
What colors did the 1964½ Ford Mustang come in?
CJ Pony Parts counts 19 factory colors. The most common was Wimbledon White, on 28,075 cars.12one source
Where is the VIN on a 1964½ Ford Mustang?
Under the hood, on top of the driver's-side fender apron, as on all 1965 models.13one source
Where the sources disagree
Every conflict we found for 1964½, and how we settled it. All rulings.
Open
What the 559,451 total counts
Our ruling: Unresolved. Maine Mustang and CJ Pony Parts list the 121,538 cars of 1964½ apart from the 559,451; if that is right, the whole 1965 model year comes to 680,989. MustangSpecs calls 559,451 the total for the 1965 model year. We show the two apart until a factory source settles it.
What each source says (4)
- A separate 1964½ table of 121,538 cars, built from March to 17 August 1964, next to the 1965 table of 559,451110one source
- Separate 1964.5 and 1965 tables; the 1965 rows add to 559,4512one source
- «A total of 559,451 Mustangs were produced for the 1965 model year»14one source
- Table labelled «calendar years», flagged as unclear whether 1964½ cars are included15one source
Settled
A 1964½ fastback price
Our ruling: There was no 1964½ fastback, so we leave the price out. $2,533 is the 1965 fastback price.
What each source says (3)
- 1964½ retail prices include «Fastback, standard $2,533»1one source
- The 1964½ production list has only coupes and convertibles1one source
- In 1964 the Mustang came as a hardtop or a convertible; the fastback was new for 196525
Open
The 1964½ hardtop's base price
Our ruling: Unresolved. $2,320 is also Maine Mustang's 1965 hardtop price, so the two may describe different points in the year. We show $2,320 and keep this open.
What each source says (2)
- Coupe, standard $2,3201one source
- The low-end hardtop with the U-code six and a three-speed manual retailed for $2,3685one source
Open
The 1964½ engine list
Our ruling: We add the K-code 289 HiPo, which two sources list for 1964 and Maine Mustang leaves out. The 170 six is 101 hp in two sources and 105 hp in Wikipedia; we show 101 and keep that point open.
What each source says (3)
- Three engines: U 170 six 101 hp, F 260 V8 164 hp, D 289 V8 210 hp1one source
- U 170 six 101 hp; F 260 V8 164 hp; D 289 4-barrel 210 hp; K 289 HiPo 271 hp, 1964–19674one source
- 170 six 105 hp (1964); 260 V8 164 hp (1964); 289 4-barrel 210 hp (1964); 289 HiPo 271 hp (1964–1966)5one source
Sources
- 1964½ Mustang Technical Data Maine Mustang · read 2026-10-11
- 1965-1973 Mustang Production Numbers CJ Pony Parts · read 2026-10-11
- Ford Mustang Wikipedia · read 2026-10-10
- 1964-1973 Mustang Engine Codes CJ Pony Parts · read 2026-10-11
- Ford Mustang (first generation) Wikipedia · read 2026-10-10
- Ford Mustang debuts at World's Fair HISTORY.com · read 2026-10-11
- 1965 Shelby GT350: Ultimate Guide MustangSpecs · read 2026-10-11
- Mustang History: 1964 shnack.com · read 2026-10-11
- Spotter's Guide: Identifying The 1964.5-1968 Mustang Champion Cooling Systems · read 2026-10-11
- 1965 Mustang Technical Data Maine Mustang · read 2026-10-10
- At A Glance: How To Spot Differences In '64.5-'68 Mustang Street Muscle Magazine · read 2026-10-11
- 1965-1973 Mustang Production Numbers: production by color CJ Pony Parts · read 2026-10-11
- 1965 Ford Mustang VIN Information MustangSpecs · read 2026-10-10
- 1965 Ford Mustang Production Numbers MustangSpecs · read 2026-10-10
- Ford Mustang (first generation): production table Wikipedia · read 2026-10-10
Keep going
Three more years.
1965Ford MustangThe first full model year, and the first with a fastback. The 1965 production table lists 559,451 cars.559,451 built (disputed)
1966Ford MustangThe last year of the original body, with 607,568 cars built.607,568 built
1967Ford MustangThe first restyle, the first big-block V8, and almost twice as many fastbacks as in 1966.472,121 built (disputed)See the whole first generation.
Dimensions, production year by year and every ruling, 1964½–1973.