Introduced at the New York World's Fair on April 17th, 1964, the Ford Mustang was primarily aimed at the post-war 'baby boomer' generation.

Backed by an enormous publicity campaign that included television coverage beamed to over 30 million homes and some 2,500 newspaper advertisements, it proved an instant hit.

Originally predicted to sell 100,000 vehicles annually, the 1965 Mustang became the most successful vehicle launch since the 1927 Ford Model A—over 400,000 units were sold in its first year and 1,000,000 had been sold within two years of its launch.

Soon available in Coupe, Convertible, and Fastback guise, it came with a range of straight-six and V8 engines together with a beguiling array of factory options.

Already an icon in standard guise, modified performance versions have become legendary, with those produced by Shelby in the 1960s being particularly prized by collectors today.

A colossal 501,965 1965 Mustang hardtop coupes were produced, including the so-called 1964½...