1966 Ford Mustang

Built in 1966, this Ford Mustang coupe has the desirable GT package - powered by a 289 cu-in (4.7-litre) V8, with disc brakes all round, a fog light bar in the front grille, Pony interior as well as GT and MUSTANG badging and a GT stripe on the sides.

Little is known about its life Stateside but it was bought by a London-based Dutch businessman from its last US owner who lived in Brighton, Michigan - just 40 miles north-west of Ford’s Headquarters in Dearborn, Detroit.

The car was exported from the USA in January 2011, shipped from New York City to Rotterdam and then to London, where it was registered with the DVLA toward the end of February that year.

The Mustang’s second UK owner was a lady from London who acquired the car in September 2011 and then in February 2016 it was bought by its current owner - also from London - in readiness for use as a wedding car for himself and his soon to be wife a few months later.

Apparently the Mustang has had very little use since but has had a fair bit of cash spent on it toward the end of last year to sort out the power steering.

The exterior of the Mustang is very good and the dark green paint is especially strong for the age of the car. There is a tiny blemish on the front centre of the hood, a small ring of lacquer damage on the front nearside wing where it was marked in the workshop and a few age-related marks here and there. Otherwise the paint has a deep shine and presents very well.

The body work doesn’t appear to be damaged at all and the panel gaps and shut lines are pretty good - with maybe just the hood/bonnet panel sitting a smidgen high against the scuttle.

The chrome brightwork looks very good across the bumpers and grille with just a light pitting on the door handles. The Mustang, GT, 289 and pony badges and decals around the car look correct and in good condition too.

The Mustang sits on American Racing Equipment Torq Thrust custom wheels, with grey painted spokes and polished rims. There is a little scuffing around the edge - most notably on the front nearside - and the polished areas have started to cloud but they remain in excellent condition.

All except the nearside rear are fitted with General Altimax tyres, dating from 2009-10 and in good order for their age. The odd tyre is a more recent Vredestein boot.

The interior is just as lovely as the outside - upholstered mostly in black vinyl with wood grain effect on the dashboard inserts and the centre console between the front seats. The interior is also equipped with the Pony Pack which includes pony decal on the seats and a race clock / speedo which wasn't as standard. The steering wheel is of the original wood-rimmed deep dish style and could well be original given the slight looseness of the two wooden rings either side of the metal inner rim.

The seats appear in good condition, with no undue wear or damage. All four seat backs feature a running ponies embossed panel. The door cards are in good shape too, although the vinyl is starting to tear slightly around where you pull the door shut. The kick plates over the sills are present but look a little dented in places.

The dash top has a slight crack on the offside but otherwise looks good. All the instrumentation works as it should and includes two stereo units - a cassette player built into the central dash and a CD radio with detachable fascia below the passenger side dash. One thing to watch is the throttle pedal pad, which seems to be securely attached to the stalk but it pivots in all directions.

The carpets are clean and intact and are covered with black rubber overmats embossed with the Mustang Pony. Up above, the black vinyl headlining looks very neat and taut.

Once your fingers have found the pull handle below the pony badge in the grille, the bonnet (hood) opens easily and happily sits open on its springs. The engine bay is generally in a good, clean condition with just a little surface rust on the side panels but the engine itself has a fair bit of oxidation across the block and the Cobra cam covers.

That said, there are signs of recent renewal to the distributor cap and leads and the chrome air cleaner lid, and the engine starts on the first turn of the key, so maybe looks can be deceiving.

The boot/trunk opens with the smallest key and offers a good deal of luggage space - although it doesn’t hold itself open particularly well. The floor is covered with a sheet of plaid vinyl - possibly original to the car and in good condition. The Mustang also comes with a full indoor car cover.

The Mustang’s last MOT expired in March 2019, noting some noise and weeping from the power steering. A garage bill for £884 last November investigated these issues and replaced some parts.

Of course, the Mustang has Historic Vehicle status and so is exempt from annual MOTs but we would always encourage an independent assessment of safety and roadworthiness each year.

The car comes with an owner’s manual in the glovebox and a good handful of paperwork including the US title copy, export and shipping paperwork, old MOTs and several invoices for parts or work done in the UK.

The Ford Mustang is a genuine icon. Name-checked in more songs than any other and featured more often on the silver screen than any of its contemporaries, it’s one of those cars you just know is going to live up to every single one of your expectations.

This Mustang GT starts on the first turn of the key and the engine runs well - even in London traffic when it was driven from Fulham to our HQ in Oxfordshire. The steering is perhaps a little vague and the ride is rather soft and springy by modern standards but plant your right foot and the car takes off, slowly at first but then with a gradual surge of power and a delicious roar.

We think this lovely-looking car, in a popular dark green metallic colour, will sell for between £25,000 and £35,000. Given that contemporary Mk1 Ford Escort twin-cams are selling some way north of the top figure of that guide - we’d say that this V8 Pony is tremendously good value.

On top of that, thanks to the huge number of Mustangs built and a very healthy world-wide following, you can get every part you’d ever need to keep it running sweetly and looking superb.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.