This is a 1969 Ford Mustang fastback that was abandoned for many years, and as you can clearly see from the images it now requires a full restoration.
This car is part of the Lost & Found Collection being offered for sale by Mecum, each vehicle is being sold individually on the 4th of September in Dallas.
Fast Facts – A 1969 Ford Mustang Barn Find
- This 1969 Ford Mustang fastback, part of the Lost & Found Collection, is being auctioned by Mecum in Dallas on September 4th. It requires full restoration after years of abandonment. The car has a 302 cubic inch V8 engine, three-speed automatic transmission, and shows 6,434 miles on the odometer.
- The 1969 Mustang was the last model year with the “original style” front end design before significant changes in 1970. It retained the styling cues of the first generation while accommodating larger engines. This model year marked the end of an era for the classic Mustang look.
- The Ford Mustang, introduced in 1964, became an instant success, selling nearly 700,000 units in 1965 alone. It sparked the pony car market segment, inspiring competitors like the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. The Mustang underwent its first major update in 1967.
- After 1969, the Mustang experienced controversial design changes and struggled with emissions regulations in the early 1970s. It was discontinued after 1973 and replaced by the Mustang II. The model later regained its sporting roots with the introduction of the Fox Body Mustang in the late 1970s.
The 1969 Ford Mustang
1969 would be an important model year for the Ford Mustang, it would be the last version with the “original style” front end design before the 1970 Mustang debuted with the headlights moved inboard with vents in their original location and a slew of other changes that led to a decrease in sales for the year.
There are many who believe the styling of the Mustang peaked with the 1969 model, the styling of the car would begin to change quite rapidly year by year after this, and sales declined as a result. Image courtesy of The Ford Motor Company.
The Ford Mustang had made its debut in 1964 as a new sports car based on the then-current Ford Falcon two-door, the Sprint model in particular. The styling, performance, and affordable price point of the Mustang helped it become an overnight hit with buyers, and sales were so strong they took Ford executives by surprise.
The first full year of production for the Mustang would be 1965 as it had been introduced part-way through 1964. By the end of 1965 Ford had sold almost 700,000 of them, and by the end of 1966 the number was well over a million.
The car was a runaway success and the other large American automakers rushed to develop their own competitors for the Mustang, resulting in the birth of the pony car market segment that brought us the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, AMC Javelin, and Dodge Challenger.
The first major update to the Mustang series would land in 1967, the body was lengthened and widened, the styling remained true to the original but it was updated to differentiate it from its predecessors. This new version would still be classed as part of the first generation, but importantly it had an engine bay large enough for a big block V8.
The 1969 Mustang would come along right at the and of the ’60s, just before Ford made the ill-fated decision to start fundamentally changing the way the Mustang looked. As noted further up, by the 1970 model year the front end had begin changing, and by 1971 it was almost unrecognizable as a Mustang at all with a completely new elongated nose section.
The Mustang would remain in production into the early 1970s, but the styling changes and increasing emissions and safety legislation had turned it into a shell of its former self, and it would be discontinued after the 1973 model year to be replaced by the all-new Mustang II.
The Grande and Mach 1 versions of the Mustang would both prove to be strong sellers, though nowadays the higher-performance Mach 1 is much more sought after than the luxury Grande model. Image courtesy of The Ford Motor Company.
The Mustang II would sell well, but many felt it didn’t deserve the Mustang name and it became one of the defining examples of the Malaise Era. Fortunately, Ford would listen to the enthusiasts and the much more engaging Fox Body Mustang would enter production by the late 1970s, beginning the long process of bringing the model back to its sporting roots.
The Barn Find 1969 Ford Mustang Shown Here
The car you see here is an original 1969 Ford Mustang fastback that has clearly seen better days. Interestingly, for the 1969 model year Ford had changed the official name of the fastback roof to the “SportsRoof,” although perhaps for the best this nomenclature didn’t catch on.
The good news is that this car is showing just 6,434 miles on the odometer. Whether that’s original or not is anyone’s guess, and unfortunately due to the decades it’s spent abandoned it’s difficult to gauge the milage by the wear and tear to the interior or other parts of the car.
The vehicle does still have its original steel wheels with hubcaps in place, it has a black hood scoop with four hood pins, red paintwork, chrome bumpers, quad exhaust tips at the back, and a black interior with bucket seats up front and a wood-rimmed steering wheel.
It’s clear that this Mustang has a long restoration road ahead of it, it’s coming up for sale in early September and hopefully it gets bought by someone who is going to get it back on the road.
Power is provided by a Ford 302 cubic inch (5.0 liter) V8, a correct engine for the car, and it’s mated to a three-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels. Although the listing doesn’t specify, it’s probably safe to assume the car doesn’t run and will need a full engine/drivetrain rebuild as part of the restoration.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum in early September, the good news is that it has no reserve price. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum + The Ford Motor Company
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