1964 1/2 Ford Mustang "Shorty"



At the dawn of the Mustang era, Ford shipped a pre-production car to the Dearborn Steel Tube Company to experiment with it, and they decided to shorten it by 16 inches, fit a custom fiberglass body and turn its 260-cubic inch V8 into a 302, creating probably the most unique pony car ever built. It's so small, they had to move the fuel filler opening to the trunk lid.
Source: Amelia Island Concours



After taking it on a promotional road show, Ford planned to send this one-off to the crusher. But its designer stole it and walled it up inside of the back of a warehouse, where it was discovered six months later. Since they already paid out the claim for it, an insurance company took possession and one of its executives purchased it from the firm.



Today it's owned by Bill Snyder, a Ford salesman that saw it on the travelling show and fell in love the moment he laid eyes on it. According to the folks at the Amelia Island Concours, where the car is being shown this year, Snyder says the little two seater goes like stink.
Why Ford never put it into production it is still a mystery.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/slide...Bucket#slide=1

 

"Why Ford never put it into production it is still a mystery."

Because it's pretty hideous past the ends of the doors?

Don't get me wrong, interesting footnote of Mustang arcana, but... yeah, thinkin' Ford made the right call.

 

Thank god it was fixed before going into production. LOL

 

looks like a nissian 280.

 

Shades of the Mustang II? Looks pretty European IMO. Stretch the wheelbase some and sort out some of the elements in the area aft of the doors - would make for a pretty good-looking car.

 

This.

 

That would be the other way around. The mustang came first

 

 

Interesting, and fascinating how this thing survived.

Looks a bit too stubby to me, I think the production fastback nailed it, proportion wise. If I'm seeing the pictures correctly, the scalloped rear quarter windows/sail panel remind me a bit of a P-40 fighter that had its fuselage scalloped aft of the cockpit to improve rear visibility (don't want no Zeros sneaking up on your 6:00, makes for a bad, and short, day).

 

That's really weird and I am glad that thing never made production.

 

I think it's awesome. Drop the front a couple inches so it sits a little better but I love it. Could have been a Vette killer.

 

Drinking early I see!!!

 

Nah. It's got a lot of Z-car in it but it was made before the 240Z anyways. Don't see why y'all don't dig it.

 

That shape made the 240Z pretty popular when Mustang didn't look like Mustang.

 

That 1/4 window and the rate at which the roofline drops is pretty awful.

But cool to learn about I suppose