The first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line on March 9, 1964. On April 17, 1964, the Mustang was introduced to the public at the World’s Fair in New York. Before the day was over, Ford had secured 22,000 orders for the vehicle at dealerships across the country. As such, the Mustang was considered an instant hit with consumers.

Contrary to popular belief, the first model year for the Ford Mustang was 1965. Mustangs produced between March 9th and July 31st of 1964 are often coined the 1964 ½ Ford Mustang by enthusiasts. Initial production of the second round of Mustangs began on August 17th, 1964. Both the original production Mustangs and the second run are technically considered 1965 Mustangs by Ford. That’s not to say there aren’t differences between the two. The first Mustangs produced feature unique characteristics that set them apart from those produced after July 31st, 1964.