First Mustang Hardtop to Hit the Auction Block

Interested in vintage Mustangs? The first hardtop pony car built by Ford Motor Co. in 1964 will be sold in May by collector Bob Fria at Mecum Auction Inc.’s event in Indianapolis.

Fria purchased the 1965-model vehicle (VIN 5F07U100002), which had 13 previous owners, in 1997. He spent two years restoring the car to its original condition, including a date-coded 170 cubic-inch 6-cylinder engine and a 3-speed manual transmission.

The hardtop was the second Mustang built, following a convertible (VIN 5F07U100001) that Ford owns and displays at the Henry Ford, a museum complex near its headquarters in Dearborn, Mich. Both vehicles were part of a group of 180 pre-production models Ford prepped at its Dearborn and nearby Allen Park facilities. Only a few of those Mustangs have survived.

The hardtop was scheduled to be delivered to dealership in Vancouver, Canada, ahead of the Mustang’s April 17, 1964, launch date. But a shipping error routed the car to the Yukon Territory in May. That dealership used it as a demo car until it was sold a few months later.

The Mecum auction will be held May 16-21. The firm hasn’t said how much it expects the Mustang will go for, but it will be several magnitudes above the car's original $2,700 sticker price.