• 1964 was the first year Ford produced the Mustang.mustang gt tail light image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
  
  The 1964 Mustang, often called the 1964 1/2 since it was released late in the year, was the first of what became an enduring line of muscle cars under that name. The first Mustang rolled out of the factory in March 1964 and was then introduced in the United States at the New York World's Fair in April. The car immediately became a bestseller, due both to its stylish design and a canny marketing strategy. The 1964 1/2 Mustang sold more than one million units in 18 months. The car has remained in production ever since.
  
  

Body

• Technically, all 1964 Mustangs are actually 1965 Mustangs. The VIN (vehicle identification numbers) for the 1964 1/2 cars all start with a 5 rather than a 4, marking them as 1965 models even though they were released in early 1964. The Mustangs released in the first six months are the ones called the 1964 1/2, and those released during the second six months are the official 1965s. Though the two are not drastically different, there are body differences that let you know which Mustang you have. The edge of the front hood of the 1965 Mustangs rolls under, while the 1964 1/2 hood does not. The original 1964 1/2 also has a brake light pressure switch located on the master cylinder, a generator charge light and large frame-mounted horns.
  
  

Engine

• Four kinds of engines were offered with the 1964 1/2 Mustang. One was a 170 cubic inch six-cylinder engine, which produced 101 horsepower. This engine was the standard 1964 Mustang engine. However, you could also order it with a 260 cubic inch V8 engine, with 164 horsepower, or a 289 cubic inch engine, with a power V8 engine capable of 271 horsepower. According to Muscle Car Facts, "Road and Track" magazine clocked the 1964 Mustang as able to go from 0 to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds with the V8 engine, while "Motor Trend" reported a 0 to 60 speed of 7.5 seconds.
  
  

Options

• The 1964 1/2 came with many choices of exterior color. In addition to white and black, you could also order the 1964 Mustang in different shades of red, green, blue and yellow, as well as beige, bronze, gray and burgundy. The 1964 Mustang was available as both a hardtop coupe and a convertible. The car came with wall-to-wall carpeting and bucket seats, as well as optional front and rear bench seats. There were three choices of transmission as well: the 1964 1/2 was offered with three- or four-speed manual transmission or an automatic transmission.