Ford gets the 1965 Mustang ready for the racetrack

When a pair of 1965 Ford Mustangs served as pace cars for the 1964 Indianapolis 500, the car -- which had made its debut just a few weeks before -- was kicking off an exciting motorsports career that continues to this day.

In the April 25, 1964, issue of Competition Press and Autoweek, we shared news (relayed to us by none other than Lee Iacocca) of the Mustang's racing ambitions. At the time, the competition schedule included the Midnight Sun road rally in Sweden, the Alpine rally in France and Spa-Sofia-Liege rally, which ran between Belgium and Yugoslavia. The Mustang tasted success almost immediately, claiming a victory in the touring-car class of the Tour de France Automobile later in 1964.

Ford's slate of performance options meant that you could pick and choose the go-fast bits you wanted on your own weekend racer. You could step up to a high-power 289 cu. in. V8 for $437.80, for example, which included a special handling package. You could also spring for a $70.80 “Rally-Pac” that included an easy-to-read tach and clock that mounted on the steering column. Handling benefited from optional stiffer springs, heavy-duty shocks and sport tires.

Iaccoca also suggested that disc brakes were on the way and revealed that -- gasp -- independent rear suspension was “in the works.” It took only 50 years for that to come to fruition on regular production cars…

Also tucked away in the “Late News” sidebar: word that Ford was planning to introduce a fastback Mustang and rumors that a “low price sports car” would have a place in General Motors' 1965 lineup. The fastback indeed emerged as a 1965 model, but Chevrolet only offered a redesign of the Corvair that year -- though the Camaro arrived in September 1966.

Check out the full article below.

Ford outlines performance options, racing plans for the Mustang

The Ford Mustang turns 50 years old during 2014; to celebrate the many lives of America's favorite pony car, we'll be posting selections from our archives. Check out our Mustang mini-site where you'll find news, road tests, sneak peeks and even classic Mustang ads from the pages of Autoweek. We'll also have all the latest news and photos surrounding the redesigned 2015 Ford Mustang as it rolls out, so stay tuned.

By Graham Kozak