What Is the Mustang Anniversary Gold Edition?

In 1966, the Ford Mustang was just over two years old. While it seems odd to celebrate an anniversary at that young of an age, that's exactly what Ford did with the introduction of the Anniversary Gold Edition, a special-order Mustang that was limited to just 50 units. Only five are rumored to survive today, making them one of the rarest pony cars from the first generation.

Celebrating One Million Mustangs

It's well-known that from the day they were launched — April 17, 1964 — the first-generation Mustangs were an immediate hit. Instantly defining an entirely new class of car, the Mustang was Ford's most successful launch since the Model A, 36 years earlier. Initial sales projections anticipated the car selling 100,000 units in its first year. When that number was reached in just three months, it was clear Ford had a runaway success on its hands.

It took only a little more than two years for Ford to sell its 1,000,000th Mustang, an event that was celebrated with major ad and sales campaigns across the country. At the center of this campaign was the introduction of the ultra-limited Anniversary Gold Edition Mustang.

About the Anniversary Gold Edition

The Anniversary Gold Mustangs that were produced and sent to dealers across the country were all hardtops and featured a C-code 289ci 2-barrel V8 engine, automatic transmission, an upgraded interior, steel-styled wheels, and a unique Anniversary Edition Gold paint job.

Anniversary Gold Mustangs were produced by special order number 1111 on March 29, 1966. Many of these cars were given away in dealer promotions such as the "Treasure Chest" contest held by Metke Ford in Bellevue, Washington. Area residents were mailed a key that could potentially open a locked chest containing keys to the Anniversary Gold edition Mustang.

To this day, very few of the Anniversary Gold Mustangs survive. Although the difference between them and other Mustangs of the time is wholly cosmetic, they mark an important milestone in the nameplate's history and have come to be prized by collectors as a unique part of Mustang memorabilia.

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