The Captain's Tale
In early April 1964, some two weeks before the Mustang's official introduction on the 17th, Captain Stanley Tucker was out for a drive in his old Pontiac and noticed a large crowd at George Parsons Ford in his hometown of St. Johns, Newfoundland. Stopping to check out the commotion, Tucker spotted the new Wimbledon White Mustang convertible. Smitten by the car, Tucker decided on the spot that he wanted to buy the Mustang, eventually corralling the dealership owner, George Parsons, to ask for immediate delivery. Parsons wanted to hold on to the car for a few more days to attract attention, but Tucker persuaded him into a next-morning delivery.
And so, Captain Tucker drove home the following day not knowing he had purchased 5F08F100001, the first production Mustang.
Neither did Ford. Shortly after Tucker's purchase, the dealership called Tucker to tell him they had sold the car by mistake. Ford wanted the car back. Apparently, Mustang No. 1 had toured Canada as a promotional vehicle before it ended up at George Parsons Ford. It was not supposed to be offered for sale.
Tucker, then 33 years old and single, was enamored with his Mustang convertible and refused to give it up. For the next two years, he drove his Mustang, putting 10,000 miles on the odometer. Then, in 1966, Ford got serious about retrieving the first production Mustang. According to an interview with Tucker by Mustang Monthly's Jim Smart in 1983, Ford offered Tucker a brand-new '66 Mustang convertible, optioned to Tucker's specifications, in trade for 100001. Tucker accepted. "What the heck," he told Mustang Monthly, "There was a new car in the deal. But it was actually foolish on my behalf when I think about it today."
According to Tucker, when he ordered his new '66 Mustang from George Parsons Ford, he put a big "X" across the entire order sheet. However, he did decline the 289 High Performance engine after learning about its limited warranty, selecting the 289 4V instead. Tucker ordered a Silver Frost convertible with a black top, black Decor Group interior, Styled Steel wheels, air conditioning, AM/cassette, and even a television.
Ford actually publicized the trade as "Number One for One Million and One," with Tucker receiving Mustang No. 1,000,001 during the Millionth Mustang assembly line ceremony at the Dearborn Assembly Plant on March 2, 1966. "I spent some time with Iacocca and the boys," Tucker said. "They even set me up with some of the girls in the office!"
In the fall of 1966, Mustang No. 1 was delivered to the Henry Ford Museum, where it sat in storage for 18 years before meeting the museum's 20-year-old qualification for display. Tucker, meanwhile, drove his Silver Frost convertible for five years, then sold it to a St. Johns' mechanic.
From a Judge's View
During Ford's 100th anniversary celebration in Dearborn, Chip Hill, a certified Mustang Club of America Gold Card Judge for '64 ½-'65 Mustangs, dropped by The Henry Ford to inspect and photograph Mustang No. 1, not only for himself but also to assist conservator Malcolm Collum in documenting a number of questionable components on the car. Here's what Chip had to say:
There were only a few things that I found "unusual" as compared to other early unrestored cars I've seen. The most notable were perhaps the gray (instead of black) engine-block paint, beveled (instead of square) armrest-base interior corners, and the unusual white knob on the end of the turn-signal lever. A few things that I had personally never seen before but can easily accept as authentic were the fragile, clear-plastic seatbelt retainer loops and the phosphate-black sheetmetal screws (like those between the seat and door sill) in the foot-area carpet of both the passenger and driver side.
It was also interesting to see evidence that supports my personal opinion on a couple of controversial judging issues. For example, I believe the pinch-weld blackout paint on the earliest cars was brushed on rather than sprayed. Mustang No. 1 has it brushed on. I have also believed for some time that the early fuel-line bracket (both pieces) was painted block color, while the screw remained natural. It always seemed odd that the screw would be natural, but Mustang No. 1 helps to explain that, because it appears the main bracket was already attached to the water pump when the block was painted (gray in the case of No. 1), and the prepainted (black) clip and unpainted screw were added on the assembly line as the fuel line was installed.
Some of the more obvious oddities that were probably swapped over time are the windshield-washer bag, the radiator cap, and possibly the oil-fill cap (the cap is right but the decal is unusual). There are also many '64 ½ features on this car that few restorations exhibit. The square-corner sill plates, grommetless lock knob openings (very early cars only), and crimped-band gas-tank hose clamps are nearly impossible for restorers to reproduce.
The hood is also unique (but authentic) with its rolled corners on an undimpled underside frame. Two other points that help authenticate the hood is the absence of the four indentations along the leading underside crease and the 12 16 C2 stamped in the lower left corner. This indicates a December 16 sheetmetal stamping date and is consistent with other stamping dates I saw on the car, including 1 14 C2 on the left fender, 1 13 2C on the trunk lid, and 12 19 D3 on the left-front inner fender apron.
I believe a fellow judge, Charles Turner, has documentation that the larger air cleaners were used with the 260 engine. And having the oil filler on the valve cover instead of the timing cover is not at all unusual. It is generally believed that the early engines were equally split between the two styles. What is cool about Mustang No. 1 is that the timing cover has the plugged hole, proving its vintage!