Mustang III Concept Show Car

The Oldest Mustang on the Road Today



One of  only 15 pre-production Mustangs (S-code VINs) built in 1963 at the Allen Park Pilot Plant. This unique one-of-a kind two-seater Mustang was requested by Ford Marketing in June 1964. Built by Ford prototype contractor Dearborn Steel Tubing  (DST)and designed by prominent designer and stylist Vincent Gardner. The original Mustang 260 cubic –inch V-8 engine was bored to 302 cubic-inches  with 300+HP and equipped with a trio of two-barrel carburetors. According to the Ford Media Center, the engine in this car became “a prototype for one of the most beloved engine configurations in Mustang history.”

It toured on the 1965 Ford Custom Caravan of Cars as the Mustang III.  Fearing the car was to be destroyed, it was stolen by Garner  from DST in May 1965 and recovered by Detroit police in December 1965. 

This is the ninth pre-production Mustang built and  considered the oldest Mustang on the road today. It is the only known Mustang to have a S-code VIN.

Link to the latest profile of the 1963 Mustang III Concept Show Car.