Ford · 1963–present
1963 Ford Mustang II
The Ford Mustang II is a small, front-engined (V8), open "two-plus-two" concept car built by the Ford Motor Company in 1963. Although bearing the same name as the first generation production Mustang, the four-seater Mustang II which closely resembled the final production variant that would appear in 1964, was intended primarily for the auto show circuit. After debuting at the 1963 Watkins Glen Grand Prix, the Mustang II had a short lifespan as a show car before being relegated to the task of "test mule". The sole example still exists, albeit in storage at the Detroit Historical Museum.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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Design and development
=== Ford Mustang I === The original Ford Mustang was a product of the Fairlane Group, a committee of Ford managers and executives led by vice-president and General Manager Lee Iacocca. The Fairlane Group worked on new product needs and, in the summer of 1962, laid out the specifications of a new sports car, the genesis of the mid-engined Mustang I concept car. A total of two cars were completed; a detailed, but non-running fiberglass mock-up, and a fully functional car that debuted at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York on October 7, 1962. For the next two years, both Mustang Is appeared at automotive events garnering enthusiastic reactions, especially from a youth demographic at colleges. Reactions from potential customers and focus groups, however, demonstrated that the original concept of the Mustang I had limited appeal to the general public. Ford executives also worried that the mid-engined sports car "... was too complex for regular production." Ford Mustang. Ford's marketing studies revealed that if a unique-looking "sporty car" could be offered at an affordable price, it would find many buyers. Iacocca had already introduced sporty versions of the Ford Falcon compact car with limited success, The Fairlane Group began to work on a front-engine, four-seater design, one of approximately 13 designs, variously known as the T-5 in company parlance, and later, the Mustang. To speed development, Ford Falcon and Fairlane components were used. Nearly the only design element that remained from the original Mustang I were the fake louvers that recreated the radiator scoops of the two-seater, and its name, emblazoned on its side panels as the "galloping Mustang" logo. The J. Walter Thompson Advertising agency created a marketing campaign that incorporated
Final disposition
From its formal April 17, 1964 introduction by Henry Ford II at the World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York, the Mustang was an enormous sales success, launching the pony car phenomenon. Being fully operational with a 271-hp V8, and the first and only steel-bodied design study ahead of the definitive 1964 production Mustang, the Mustang II was saved from being scrapped when R&D engineers needed a test mule. The Mustang II was eventually donated by Ford to the Detroit Historical Society in 1975, where it still resides in storage.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Ford Mustang II (concept car)
- Manufacturer
- Ford
- Class
- Concept car
- Body style
- 2-door roadster/convertible
- Layout
- front-engine layout
- Assembly
- Dearborn, Michigan
- Engine
- 289 cuin Windsor HiPo V8
- Platform
- Experimental
- Production
- 1963
- Wheelbase
- 108 in
- Length
- 186.6 in
- Width
- 62 in
- Height
- 48.4 in
- Kerb weight
- 2445 lb (approximate)
- Designer
- Eugene Bordinat, John Najjar, James Sherbourne
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28452871CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang_II_(concept_car)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1354748088 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MUSTANG_II_SKETCH.jpgPublic domain · Photo: Bzuk · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.