A superb and rare photo of the very new 1964 Ford Mustang.
The Ford
Mustang made its first public appearance on a racetrack little more than a month after its April 17
introduction, as pace car for the 1964 Indianapolis
500. The same year, Mustangs achieved the first of many notable competition
successes, winning first and second in class in the Tour de France international
rally. The car’s American competition debut, also in 1964, was in drag racing,
where private individuals and dealer-sponsored teams campaigned Mustangs
powered by 427 cu. in. V8s. In late 1964, Ford contracted Holman & Moody to
prepare ten 427-powered Mustangs to contest the National Hot Rod Association's
(NHRA) A/Factory Experimental class in the 1965 drag racing season. Five of
these special Mustangs made their competition debut at the 1965 NHRA
Winternationals, where they qualified in the Factory Stock Eliminator class.
The car driven by Bill Lawton won the class. A decade later Bob Glidden won the
Mustang’s first NHRA Pro Stock title. Early Mustangs also proved successful in
road racing. The GT 350 R, the race version of the Shelby GT 350, won five of
the Sports Car Club of America's (SCCA) six divisions in 1965. Drivers were
Jerry Titus, Bob Johnson and Mark Donohue, and Titus won the (SCCA)
B-Production national championship. GT 350s won the B-Production title again in
1966 and 1967. They also won the 1966 manufacturers’ championship in the
inaugural SCCA Trans-Am series, and repeated the win the following year. In
1969, modified versions of the 428 Mach 1, Boss 429 and Boss 302 took 295
United States Auto Club-certified records at Bonneville
Salt Flats. The outing included a 24-hour run on a 10-mile (16 km) course at an average
speed of 157 miles
per hour (253 km/h).
Drivers were Mickey Thompson, Danny Ongais, Ray Brock and Bob Ottum. Boss 429
engines powered Ford Torinos in 1969 and 1970 NASCAR racing. In 1970 the
Mustang won the manufacturers’ championship in the Trans-Am series once again,
with Parnelli Jones and George Follmer driving. Jones won the drivers’ title.
Two years later Dick Trickle won 67 short-track feature races, a national
record for wins in a single season. In 1975 Ron Smaldone's Mustang became the
first-ever American car to win the Showroom Stock national championship in SCCA
road racing. Mustangs also competed in the IMSA GTO class, with wins in 1984
and 1985. In
1985 John Jones also won the 1985 GTO drivers’ championship; Wally Dallenbach
Jr., John Jones and Doc Bundy won the GTO class at the Daytona 24 Hours; and
Ford won its first manufacturers’ championship in road racing since 1970. Three
class wins went to Lynn St. James, the first woman to win in the series. 1986
brought eight more GTO wins and another manufacturers’ title. Scott Pruett won
the drivers’ championship. The GT Endurance Championship also went to Ford. In
drag racing Rickie Smith’s Motorcraft Mustang won the International Hot Rod
Association Pro Stock world championship. In 1987 Saleen Autosport Mustangs
driven by Steve Saleen and Rick Titus won the SCCA Escort Endurance SSGT
championship, and in International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) racing a
Mustang again won the GTO class in the Daytona 24 hours. In 1989, its silver
anniversary year, the Mustang won Ford its first Trans-Am manufacturers’ title
since 1970, with Lynn St. James winning the drivers’ championship. In 1997,
Tommy Kendall’s Roush-prepared Mustang won a record 11 consecutive races in
Trans-Am to secure his third straight driver’s championship. In 2002 John Force
broke his own NHRA drag racing record by winning his 12th national championship
in his Ford Mustang Funny Car, Force beat that record again in 2006, becoming
the first ever 14-time champion, again, driving a Mustang. Currently Mustangs
compete in several racing series, including the Mustang Challenge for the
Miller Cup and the KONI Challenge, where it won the manufacturer's title in
2005 & 2008, and theCanada Drift, Formula Drift and D1 Grand Prix series.
They are highly competitive in the SCCA Speed World Challenge GT Series. As reported
by Jayski.com, the Ford Mustang will be Ford's Car of Tomorrow for the NASCAR Nationwide
Series in 2010, opening a new chapter in both Mustang's history and Ford's
history.
The 1965 Mustang won the Tiffany Gold Medal for
excellence in American design, the first automobile ever to do so. The Mustang
was on the Car and Driver Ten Best list in 1983, 1987, 1988, 2005, and 2006. It
won the Motor Trend Car of the Year award in 1974 and 1994. In 2005 it was
runner-up to the Chrysler 300 for the North American Car of the Year award and
was named Canadian Car of the Year.
The photograph that the winner of this auction will
receive is a very nice and very rare non
period photo that reflects a wonderful era of Ford ‘s automotive history in
a wonderful way. This is your rare
chance to own this photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format
of ca. 8" x 10" (ca. 20 x 26 cm).
It makes it perfectly suitable for framing.
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you
buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
All our photos are modern photos that are traditionally made from what we believe are the original negatives and are copyright protected.
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well protected in PVC clear files and board backed envelopes.
They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace, restaurant, bar or club!
First come - first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any questions before the auction ends.