See The First Mustang Ever Built
- jamiegillard
- Apr 28
- 1 min read
Imagine purchasing a rusty 10-year-old 1964 Mustang for under $1,000 and then finding out several years later that it was a one-of-a kind prototype built for Henry Ford II. That's exactly what happened to Art Cairo of Royal Oak, Michigan
The car has many special features that never made it into production such as leather seats, and a teak wood steering wheel, instrument panel and console. It also boosts a K coat engine, 289 V-8.
Rumor has it that the power of the 289 K Code engine in this prototype Mustang impressed Henry and that may have influenced his decision to enter LeMans and race against Ferrari in 1964 with the Ford GT40s. Ford lost in 1964 and 1965 but did finish first, second and third in 1966.
Henry Ford II ended up giving the car to his chauffeur in 1965. When Cairo purchased the Mustang he knew it had been in the Ford family but it wasn't until he met with Edsel Ford II in 1981 to have the car authenticated, did he learn of its true origins. It took more than 2 years for Cairo to completely restore the car in the early 2000's. He replaced every nut and bolt with genuine stock parts and created a true museum piece.
The car is considered one of the most significant Mustangs ever made and you can see it this year at the Bay Harbor Classic Car and Boat Festival.
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