Edsel Ford II Recalls his First Mustang

Edsel B. Ford II, the great-grandson of the company’s founder, Henry Ford, certainly hasn’t.

Recalling memories of a Christmas morning in 1964, the son of then Ford Motor Co. CEO and President, Henry Ford II, recently talked about a Mustang he received for his sixteen birthday that year.

“I came downstairs that Christmas morning with my sisters, and my father indicated I should take a look outside,” said the now director of Ford Motor Co. “This amazing Mustang was sitting in the driveway, and I immediately went outside to check it out.”

Edsel Ford II vividly recalls the excitement of driving the custom Mustang around their driveway for several laps, which we imagine was probably like driving it a few miles.

“The rumble of the high-performance 239-cubic-inch V8 was always intoxicating,” he said. “I only drove it for a few minutes that first day because there was snow on the ground, but as soon as the roads were cleared. I drove it almost every day.”

That Mustang went on to be Edsel Ford’s daily driver through his years in college until the car was totaled four years later by a friend who borrowed it. Luckily no one was hurt, but we’re betting that’s one friend who had a tough time showing his face at the Ford estate following the incident.