As many pony car fans are well aware by now, the the Ford Mustang made its official debut in April 1964 at the New York World’s Fair, where that model was also part of what’s known as the Ford Pavilion. There, attendees could “ride” in a variety of Blue Oval models in the “Ford Skyway,” including the then-new 1965 Ford Mustang. One of those surviving Mustangs made an appearance at the 2024 Disney D23 Ultimate Fan Event as part of the pony car’s 60th anniversary celebration, and recently, Jay Leno was also able to slip behind the wheel of one of the 1965 Ford Mustang models displayed at the 1964 World’s Fair, too.
On this new episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, the comedian, former late night talk show host, and noted car guy is joined by Ford archivist Ted Ryan, just a couple of months after Executive Chairman Bill Ford stopped by the same spot with a 1964.5 Mustang with GT40 power that paced the Indianapolis 500 years ago. This particular 1965 Ford Mustang convertible is a much different animal as one of 24 examples used as part of the Ford Skyway ride over the course of two years, and in this case, is finished in white with a red interior – though other color schemes were used, too.
As Ryan notes here, the Skyway ride was created in collaboration between Walt Disney and Henry Ford II, who spent a great deal of time discussing what it should look like. Ford II was insistent that the Skyway served as a showcase for Ford products, but there were issues in equalling out the weight between smaller rides like the Mustang and bigger ones like the Continental – so certain vehicles had their drivetrains removed. The 1965 Ford Mustang was light enough that those parts could remain intact, however.
The 1965 Ford Mustang Skyway cars did feature some notable modifications, including big metal plates and planking present underneath, coupled with a guide post to navigate the pony car around the ride. Amazingly, Ryan notes that it’s estimated around 40,000 people sat in each one of these cars – out of 15 million that attended one of the two years the Ford Pavilion featured the ride – which are astounding figures, indeed, and likely one of the contributing factors to the model’s tremendous success right out of the gate.
Comments
My butt was in that car at age 5. That’s why I begged my father to get me a Mustang when I got my driver’s license.
You would think these guys would know, but:
Those are 1966 wheel covers
There was no such thing in’64 as a “Fairlane convertible “
Yes, V8s that had the 260 emblems. They’re still available via repops.
I know those are details, but between the two of them (and the restorer), it’s kind of bogus.