The original car was built on the Ford Falcon chassis and featured all new body panels. The car was deemed to be a sporty, affordable car that appealed to a wide range of buyers The car could be ordered with a straight six cylinder engine, or a 289 cubic inch V8. The car could be outfitted with many different options, and thus could be customized for a variety of taste and budgets.

The 1966 Mustang body is identical to the 1965 car except for minor changes in trim. The second generation 1967 and 1968 Mustang body is similar to the earlier cars (except for the Fastback roof line that was extended to the trunk). The engine bay is larger to accommodate a big block engine, and the taillight, grill and interior are different. The '69 and '70 Mustangs got a makeover. The cars were lower and wider and had a more aggressive look. The Muscle Car race was in full swing and Ford competed with Chevrolet and Chrysler by offering different high performance engines. The Fastback (or Sportsroof as Ford called them) lineup included the 1969 1970 Mach One 1 with 351 Cleveland or Windsor engines or the 428 Cobra Jet and and Boss 302 429 cars. The Ford Mustang was one of the most successful mass produced cars in automotive history .