1965 Ford Mustang

This 1965 first generation Ford Mustang has a period-correct 4.7 litre V8 ‘289’ engine, an auto ‘box and a reassuringly low mileage of 49,900 miles.

On the occasion of its 2017 MoT it had covered 43,140 miles

It is very much a car with two distinct personas.

If you climb aboard in the dark, fire up the magnificent V8 and head-off down the open road you’ll soon be mightily impressed by the vehicle’s mechanical and dynamic abilities.

It starts on the button, it presses on with plenty of enthusiasm and, like all proper Mustangs of this era, it makes a noise like Brian Blessed shouting across a canyon.

The steering is surprisingly light, positive and accurate. The disc brake conversion makes braking reassuringly effective, predictable and safe.

It has a stainless-steel exhaust,Shelby valve covers and a ‘Monte Carlo bar’ in the engine bay.

For those who don’t know, a Monte Carlo bar isn’t an over-priced cocktail lounge on the Riviera, it’s a strut brace between the shock absorber towers and is designed to keep the car optimally balanced and composed under heavy cornering.

The bar is clearly doing its job, as the car goes around corners considerably better than many Mustangs we’ve previously encountered.

It’s really a very impressive drive.

Approach the car in broad daylight, however, and you’ll see its other persona – warts and all.

The bodywork and paintwork are so original you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was about to audition for the next film in the Mad Max franchise.

It has a decidedly ‘rat rod’ look to it which, in our opinion is far from unappealing and is somehow entirely appropriate to the car’s simple, raw, grunty nature.

The bodywork wears its dinks, dents, scrapes, scuffs and nicks likes badges of honour.

It’s been living its life for 58 years and it hasn’t spent any money on Botox or cosmetic surgery.

The original ‘Poppy Red’ paint has faded to orange paint and is now either matte, missing, marked, maimed or otherwise marred.

And, yes, there are some corrosion issues to contend with.

There is some bubbling and flaking to see in the sills, wings, wheel arches, doors, inside the driver’s door ‘B’ pillar bulkhead, and behind the front bumper.

The classic American Racing alloys seem OK (the chromed centre caps are in the glove compartment).

The chrome is foxed and pitted in places.

The lights, lenses, badging other exterior fixtures and fittings could all use some TLC but look to be serviceable in general.

The inside is in rather better nick than its exterior counterpart.

It has clearly been retrimmed in the not-too-distant past and has three-point seat belts, front and rear.

The black upholstery is excellent, front and back, and has yet to earn itself any creases, let alone patina.

Although in need of a good clean and scrub, the carpets, mats and door cards seem to be fundamentally sound.

The dashboard, too, looks to be in fine fettle.

The only aspect of the interior that’s currently letting it down is the headlining, which is ripped and torn in several places.

We didn’t press every button, flick every switch or pull every toggle, but everything we did manage to press, flick and pull did as it was told.

The boot is shabby but intact and contains a spare wheel.

The engine and engine bay are clean, dry and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car look to have a decent amount of structural integrity although there is some rust to be seen in places.

You’ll want to see for yourself and reach your own conclusion.

As it stands, this car has less history than Clint Eastwood in any of the countless films where he turns up wearing a poncho and chewing a cheroot at some desperate, fly-blown town inhabited by terrified Mexicans.

If or when we get more info, we’ll let you know.

For now, there’s no paper-trail of bills, invoices and receipts detailing the car’s history, but these are pretty simple cars and there’s really nothing to hide and nowhere to hide it.

It was first registered in the UK in 2017 and had, we believe, been living in California prior to that.

It has a few old US cents in one ashtray, a San Francisco luggage ticket in another and, almost inevitably, a Lynyrd Skynrd cassette sticking out of the dashboard player – ‘Free Bird’ or ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, anyone?

This car comes with a current V5, a clear HPI check….and plenty of attitude.

Yes, it looks like it’s been in a street fight with some feral cats and it’s hard to know whether or not it won the fight.

And no, it’s a long way from cosmetically perfect and there are some corrosion issues to attend to – but this is no rot box and it could be resurrected with, we believe, rather less effort than you might deem necessary at first glance.

Whether you want to get it shiny, squeaky-clean and minty-fresh again or just sort the bodywork out and leave it with its Mad Max patina is, of course, entirely up you.

Personally, we rather like the Mad Max vibe – and we absolutely love the way it runs and drives.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £13,000 - £18,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.