This is a 1966 Ford Mustang, though the wheelbase is a little longer than that of any factory-built pony car, as it was stretched and turned into a limousine in Australia in the early 2000s.
This Mustang now has seating for eight passengers in its deluxe red “Pony” vinyl-trimmed interior, with red carpeting and chrome trim highlights. It also has an electrically operated cabin divider, air-conditioning for both front and rear passengers, and it rides on 15 inch Rallye chromed steel wheels.
Fast Facts: A 1966 Ford Mustang Limousine
- This is a substantially modified 1966 Ford Mustang that was stretched into a limousine in Sydney during the early 2000s. The wheelbase exceeds any factory pony car of course, and the car was converted to right-hand drive at the same time. It now seats eight and was built primarily for event hire use in Australia.
- The interior is finished in red Pony-style vinyl with matching carpeting and chrome trim. It includes air-conditioning for front and rear passengers, plus an electrically operated cabin divider. Exterior details remain period-inspired, including 15-inch chromed Rallye steel wheels that keep the front view close to stock.
- The original Mustang program succeeded by combining Falcon mechanicals with fresh styling and aggressive pricing. Led by Lee Iacocca and engineer Donald N. Frey, Ford reused existing platforms to control cost and weight while delivering solid performance options and broad appeal to younger buyers.
- Originally powered by a 289 V8, this limousine now runs a Ford 302 V8 paired with a 3-speed C4 automatic. After years as a wedding and prom car, it is now for sale in Brisbane, offering an unusual mix of classic Mustang styling and novelty limousine proportions.
History Speedrun: The First-Gen Ford Mustang
While Ford wasn’t the company that came up with the idea of an affordable sports car, in the early 1960s it did spot a gap that Detroit hadn’t yet filled – a gap for a stylish, youth-oriented car with the look of an elegant GT, options for V8 power, room for four in a pinch, actual trunk space, and a sticker price that didn’t scare off first-time buyers.
The Mustang program was, at its very core, a genius product-planning play. Lee Iacocca pushed hard for it, arguing that Ford needed a fresh, image-forward car that could be marketed aggressively and sold in serious volume. Image courtesy of Ford.
The Mustang program was, at its very core, a genius product-planning play. Lee Iacocca pushed hard for it, arguing that Ford needed a fresh, image-forward car that could be marketed aggressively and sold in serious volume. The trick was getting it approved, engineered quickly, and priced like a mainstream compact rather than a niche sports car.
Donald N. Frey was the engineer who led the design and development effort, and he became one of the key figures translating the concept into a production car that could survive Ford’s cost and production timing realities.
In order to make the Mustang a reality, Frey and his team had to use as much existing Ford hardware as possible while still delivering a car that looked completely new. The design was led by Ford’s studio management team Joe Oros, while designer Gale Halderman helped shape the final design. The team also explored a number of design variants early on, including convertible and fastback versions, the latter of which would become a defining first-generation body style once it arrived.
The Mustang’s biggest engineering decision was what platform it would be built on, ultimately the Ford Falcon was chosen, and the Mustang would pull heavily from the Falcon and Fairlane parts catalogue, including the chassis, suspension, brakes, steering, and drivetrain. The main structure was a unitized frame taken from the 1964 Falcon, with welded box-section side rails and crossmembers.
Dimensionally, Ford kept the overall length identical to the Falcon but trimmed the wheelbase slightly. In essence, it was 1960s American compact-car packaging wearing a long-hood, short-deck suit.
That Falcon was important for another reason – weight and pricing. Period figures put a six-cylinder Mustang at roughly 2,570 lbs, with V8 cars closer to 3,000 lbs depending on equipment. Ford also developed the convertible early to ensure sufficient stiffness, though they did have a headstart on this as the earlier Falcon had also been offered as a drop top.
The Mustang was marketed to almost everyone, women and men, young and old. This ad ran in Lady’s Home Journal in September of 1964 when the Mustang was still a brand new concept. Image courtesy of Ford.
Mustang production began in March of 1964, and the official introduction followed on April 17th, 1964 at the New York World’s Fair. The first cars were offered as a hardtop (notchback) and convertible, with the fastback following in August the same year. Although enthusiasts often refer to “1964½” Mustangs, Ford marketed the early cars as 1965 models, which sometimes leads to a little confusion.
The launch lineup was straightforward but had enough choice to cover economy buyers and the more performance-minded customers who didn’t mind spending a little more. The standard engine was a 170 cubic inch inline-six rated at 101 bhp and 156 lb ft of torque.
Optional V8s started with a 260 cubic inch V8 rated at 164 bhp and 258 lb ft of torque. The 289 cubic inch V8 was positioned as the step-up choice, listed at 210 bhp and 300 lb ft of torque, and Ford also offered a 289 High-Performance V8 rated at 271 bhp and 312 lb ft of torque. 3-speed manual transmissions as standard with the 170 six or 260 V8, with a 4-speed available with the six and both 289s, offering more cogs for more sporting minded drivers.
The market reaction to the new car was immediate, and Ford’s sales planning suddenly looked wildly conservative. Production figures show roughly 22,000 orders on the first day, and nearly 1.3 million cars produced in the first two years across multiple plants.
Those early numbers explain why the first generation expanded so quickly in size, trim complexity, and power over its 1964 to 1973 production run.
The Mustang didn’t just hit its target, it created a whole new niche – a niche that was named the “pony car” segment in its honor. America’s other large automakers were all left scrambling to catch up, quickly releasing their own models – cars like the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Dodge Challenger, Plymouth Barracuda, and AMC Javelin.
The 1966 Ford Mustang Stretched Limousine Shown Here
The 1966 Ford Mustang you see here might look factory stock from the front, but as soon as you come around to the side you quickly realize it’s been significantly modified from new, and it’s now a long (long, long) wheelbase Mustang limousine.
The car was imported into Australia from the USA and converted into a limousine in the early 2000s, and also converted to right hand drive. It was originally powered by the 289 V8, but it’s now been fitted with a Ford 302 V8 and a 3-speed automatic (C4) transmission.
The car was imported into Australia from the USA and converted into a limousine in the early 2000s, and also converted to right hand drive. It was originally powered by the 289 V8, but it’s now been fitted with a Ford 302 V8 and a 3-speed automatic (C4) transmission.
It was used as an event hire car for many years, for weddings, school proms, bachelorette parties, and the like, and it’s now being offered for sale. The new owner may very well want to use it for the same purpose, or it could make an unusual family car, or even a highly unusual camper conversion.
It’s being sold out of Brisbane, Australia on Collecting Cars, and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Collecting Cars + Ford
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
