1970 Ford Mustang 5.0

First registered in the United Kingdom in June 1970 as NMC 3 (and subsequently registered as ANM 135H, a number it still wears today) this Ermine White Mustang is fitted the Dearborn-built 302 cubic inch, 4·9-litre V8 engine and three-speed transmission – and (and this might come as something of a surprise) this is a car that weighs less than a modern Audi TT, so its performance is best described as, er, ‘lively’.

The seller, who’s enjoyed the car for the past four years, suggests that the paintwork, most of the panels and the mighty V8 engine are all still original, which is quite something after 47 years!

With an extensive service file and a well-documented history, this is an ideal opportunity for an enthusiast to get behind the wheel of a well-sorted and reasonably priced convertible Mustang that has both power brakes and power steering.

Oh, and did you know that only 3.6% of 1970 Mustangs were convertibles?

The Mustang is in very good shape considering it has braved almost 50 British winters, with decent shutlines, good panel alignment, and doors that still latch and close precisely. While the paintwork looks to be largely original, the owner does think that the two front wings may well have been replaced in the car’s past.

That said, there are a few blemishes, minor spots of rust and the odd touched-in stonechip and scrape. However, it looks solid overall but as always we’d encourage potential bidders to assess the car’s condition for themselves prior to bidding.

Excellent news, the power-operated soft-top hood was professionally replaced two years ago, along with the front and rear chrome bumpers.

Importantly, it still has its original steel wheels, complete with chromed hubcaps, which enthusiasts will know is very rare as the tendency was to junk them in favour of larger chromed wheels. The matching tyres all have good tread. All this points to careful previous owners.

The black Naugahyde™ interior is in good condition but could do with a little love and attention here and there, most notably to sort a few misaligned trim panels and to repair the odd hole in the vinyl trim. The rest is very good, including the internal chromework, which is mildly patinated in places but is not so bad as to need replacing in our opinion. See the photos for these small observations.

But, all of this is probably nit-picking; as with the exterior, we can see the new owner enjoying the car and slowly undertaking a rolling restoration to bring it back to its former glory.

The original Philco radio is still there, and while it’s not exactly hi-fidelity it is wonderfully period and suitably vintage in sound quality! Oh, and the padded dashboard is so good that the owner thinks it must have been replaced at some point …

1. If you’re struggling to remember where you’ve heard the name Naugahyde before, it was probably Warren Zevon. While he was a disgusting example of mankind in almost every respect, he was an incredible songwriter, not least in his description of an errant carpet fitter who laid “tackless stripping and housewives by the score” before auctioning “off every last Naugahyde divan”

Following some starting problems, the car was consigned to the care of Hotrod Technologies, who correctly diagnosed a duff carburettor and distributor. Replacements were purchased and fitted and the car now starts, runs, stops and handles as it should. (The original carb and distributor are still with the car.)

The engine bay is neat enough but a perfectionist might want to invest a couple of weekends of their time to detail it, and the transmission has a small leak.

The underside looks to have been well-protected by underseal but this is peeling in places and could do with a full clean and closer inspection to realise the full condition.

The car will have a new MOT by the time the auction ends.

Supplied to a Mr R.A.W. Rudd by F.W. Markes of Salisbury, the local Ford dealer, the car is believed to have spent the first four years of its life in Wiltshire with him.

The Mustang then moved to London in 1974, where it stayed with Frederick Charles Ritscher for the next 15 years, eventually clocking up a total of 70,000 miles. Mr Ritscher clearly adored it and treated it very well; it was serviced by the same man throughout this entire period and was kept garaged when he wasn’t driving it. (And he was the only one who did drive it: he refused to let his daughter use it at all according to a letter she has written as part of the car’s comprehensive history file!)

The car comes with a hefty folder of bills going back to 1988, a number of V5 vehicle registration documents dating back to 1982, and some expired MOT certificates dating back to 1987 all of which help support the car’s mileage, which is believed to be a genuine 120,000.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find almost 50 invoices and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has an impressively comprehensive service history.

The price of Ford Mustangs is starting to reflect their scarcity, driven in large part by the availability of the modern Mustang in right-hand-drive form. Almost invariably a discretionary purchase, many owners of the modern version are starting to seek out original examples as an interesting counterpoint to their daily driver.

And remember, the convertible Mustang is the rarest of the rare; while Ford built more than 190,000 Mustangs in 1970, just 7,000 of them were convertibles (this remarkable statistic surprised even us, but is a result of the proposed new crash tests in the US at the time – don’t say we don’t educate you, dear reader!).

With the price of excellent ‘Stangs reaching £35,000 and more, we have set the guide price for this one between £14 - 18,000, a figure that reflects its originality while also acknowledging the need for some of that continuous attention to keep it looking sharp and running well.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in Maidenhead; to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.