1965-1973 Mustang Production Numbers

The first generation of Ford Mustang officially began in 1965 and ran through 1973. Though this makes it one of the shorter generations, it was also the most popular. By 1966, over a million Mustangs had sold.

There’s no shortage of first-generation Mustangs, but each model’s rarity varies from year to year. The 1966 Mustang was the best-selling year, but within that year some options are very rare. This makes it hard for would-be restorers who have their hearts set on a particular body style.

Knowing the production numbers for each Mustang year can help you understand the rarity so you can narrow your focus when you're hunting for your next first-gen Mustang.

If you want to learn more about which classic Mustang years were the most popular, check out our classic Mustang sales chart.

Pick a Mustang Production Year:

1964-1/2 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973

Classic Mustang Body Styles

In 1964, when the Mustang was first introduced, it was available in either a hardtop or a convertible. 1965, the first proper year, saw one new body style: The Fastback.

Fastbacks gave the Mustang, already a sporty car, an even sportier profile. It’s no coincidence that the first Shelbys were all built on fastback bases. Eventually, the name “sportsroof” replaced fastback, a nod to the style’s sportiness.

Despite the enduring legacy of the Mustang fastback, the first gen hardtop was more popular. In some years hardtops outsold all other models at a 2:1 ratio.

Performance Mustangs

Through the first generation, Ford released many Mustang variants. At one point, there were no fewer than six performance Mustang options. Many may have worried this kind of production would weaken the still new Mustang brand. But the opposite was true.

If anything, years with more options saw increased sales. These special editions have also contributed to the Mustang’s appeal.

Most of the Mustang variants, like the Boss, Shelby, and Mach 1 Mustangs, focused on power. These Mustangs had performance enhancements that appealed to people who wanted a fast car.

Other variants, like the Mustang Grande, focused on increasing the Mustang’s comfort and luxury options. Some variants like the California Special appealed to regional interests. There’s little doubt that the most talked about Mustangs are the performance ones.

Shelby Mustangs

The Shelby Mustangs were introduced in 1965, right at the start of the Mustang. By 1971 though, Shelby had stepped away from car manufacturing for a few years.

It’s hard to believe that first-generation Shelby Mustangs were only manufactured for five years. They’re among the most popular and sought after Mustangs.

Unfortunately, at least part of that desirability comes from their rarity. The 1967 GT500 Fastback was the Shelby with the largest production number, at 2,050. That’s not many by any standard. It’s only common in comparison with other Shelbys. The rarest, a 1966 GT350 Convertible, only had six ever produced.

Mustang Grandes

The Grande was supposed to represent the most luxurious Mustang. First introduced in 1969, it was available through the end of the first generation. Though not ever very popular, there aren’t any years where a Grande could be considered a rare choice. The least popular year still saw more than 13,500 Grandes built.

The Grande was only ever available as a hardtop.

Mach 1 Mustangs

The Mach 1 was originally intended to be a sporty option for those who didn’t want to splurge on a Boss Mustang. Mach 1s were only available as fastbacks, or SportsRoofs. The Mach 1 debuted in 1969 and was in continuous use through the Mustang’s second generation.

The Mach 1 was so popular that it took the place of the Mustang GT. The GT nameplate wasn’t used again until 1982.

Mach 1s look a lot like a Boss 429. This similarity has led many people to convert Mach 1s into Boss 429 lookalikes. This was the method that producers of the John Wick series used to create a Boss 429. An actual Boss 429 would have eaten into the budget.

Classic Mustang Rarity and Value

Some options are incredibly rare, but rarity alone doesn’t increase value. Convertibles with bench seats were very rare, but only because people preferred bucket seats, both then and now.

If you’re trying to establish how rare your particular combination of body style, paint code, trim code, and engine code are, then you’ll want a Marti report. Kevin Marti creates reports for Mustang owners that describe their classic Mustang's history and tell them the rarity of their options. Marti’s data sets are the most complete, and his reports are the most thorough.

If you want a general idea of all the production statistics, you can also check out Marti’s book.

When shopping for a classic Mustang, keep in mind that many things can be changed.

Features, paint color, and engines are areas where people tend to get creative. You can add seats just like the Mach 1’s, or apply badges to make your own California Special.

The one thing that’s very difficult to change is the body style. You won’t be able to turn a hardtop into a convertible, so you should do the legwork now and find a used convertible.

Check out our guide on buying your first classic Mustang, and sign up for our newsletter to get deals on parts.