This is the ultra-rare 1963/1965 Ford Mustang III ‘Shorty’ Prototype pilot car (5S08F10009), the oldest known road-registered Mustang in the world. The Mustang was first pioneered in 1962 by American automobile executive, Lee Iacocca, and the Fairlane Group, a team of Ford managers. Older Mustang cars exist, such as the 1962 Mustang I roadster (Henry Ford Museum), the first ever prototype which debuted at Watkins Glen in 1962, built by race car shop Troutman & Barnes. The Mustang II concept (Detroit Historical Society), built by Dearborn Steel Tubing (DST) made it’s introduction at Watkins Glen in 1963. These cars however, are not registered for road use. This prototype Mustang is the 9th of approximately 15 pilot cars total built in Allen Park. The pilot cars were designed to diagnose any issues with the assembly process. The pilot cars were followed up by 180-200 pre-production cars used for promotional use and experimental purposes. Mass production for the Mustang came in March of 1964 and the Mustang became one of the most successful vehicle launches of all time. Pilot car 009 started life as a convertible in 1963 before being sent to DST in 1964 to receive the two-seat fastback styling from free-lancer Vince Gardner. After being completed and toured around the country, Gardner is said to have stolen the vehicle, saving it from the scrapyard. This ultimately led 009 to become the property of Aetna Life & Casualty after a settlement was made for the loss, only to be discovered by police afterwards. Gardner was not charged, and the car was purchased by an executive at Aetna who then sold it to another owner who kept the car for close to 50 years. The car was restored in 2011, in time for the 2013 Amelia Concours, and was acquired by the current owner, Howard Kroplick in 2015. We’d like to thank Howard for allowing us to spend some time with this fine piece of history!
How many made? 15 built, only 3 survived, and this car is a one-off.
Engine: 302 cubic inch V8
Debut: Ford's Custom Car Caravan at various venues in the mid 1960s
Top Speed: n/a
0-60mph: n/a
Photo Credit: @am_media_ny
Research: @rarecarsonly