1st Production Mustang Hardtop

photo caption- left: Lee Iacocca, The father of the Mustang, with the Fria's 002 1965 Mustang

photo caption- right: Bob & Joyce Fria's #1 '65 Mustang Hardtop on display at the Nethercutt Museum

THE FIRST PRODUCTION
MUSTANG HARDTOP
DISPLAYED AT THE NETHERCUTT
MUSEUM

The world famous Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, now has on display the first production Ford Mustang hardtop. The 60,000 square foot museum contains over 100 specialty automobiles that have been carefully restored to their original elegance. Packard, Duesenberg, Pierce Arrow, Rolls-Royce, as well as other cars of their stature, are artfully exhibited in a way that shows many historical changes and developments of automotive design and engineering.

This 1965 first production Mustang hardtop was shipped from the Ford Dearborn factory to help launch the new Ford pony car to the public in April, 1964. The new introductory model was mistakenly shipped to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory, Canada. It arrived too late for the continental first day public introduction and after its first retail sale one year later, dropped into obscurity for over 35 years. Discovered by Bob Fria after 13 previous owners, the car was restored to precise factory new specifications and has a fully developed provenance.
Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of the Ford Mustang, this first Mustang will remain on display until the summer of 2009. The historical hardtop is owned by Bob and Joyce Fria of LaCrescenta, California.

The Museum is located at 15151 Bledsoe St, off San Fernando Rd, in Sylmar, CA and is open to the public free of charge. Hours are Tuesday thru Saturday, 9am -4:30pm. For further information call (818-364-6464) or www.nethercuttcollection.org.
Note: The Fria Mustang was one of only 25 cars to be included in the HEART AND SOUL display at the Ford Centennial- Dearbord 2003.

Bob and Joyce Fria were CTCC members for many years, and Bob was one of the early T-Bird owners who had an "advanced" restoration performed on his White, 1956. Having visited the Nethercutt collection with Bob and Joyce in 2003, I consider the invitation to have the first '65 Mustang Hardtop on display as a fine tribute.
- Editor

Editor's Note: It was in the fall of 1964 when I met Lee lacocca at the Chicago Hilton. The occasion was the 2-hour introduction of the Ford lineup for the 1965 models. It was the year that we had been privileged to see - and photograph - the Ford '65 models while we were attending the (first) CTCI Convention in Dearborn, Michigan.
In addition to meeting the "Father of the Mustang," we met Henry Ford II and a number of other Ford executives who were in attendance at the elegant, albeit short. Ford unveiling of the '65 cars.