1964 was the first year of production for the legendary Ford Mustang muscle sports car. Production began in the second half of the year, after approximately 18 months of planning and design, a relatively short time for a new car project even today. The short time is largely attributed to the decision to use as many existing mechanical parts as possible. So the 1964 Mustang was a unique concept with no equivalent in the market, but based on many existing parts. As many of you may know, any Mustang made before September 1964 was considered a 1964 1/2 (like the famous 1963 prototype). FACT: The first Mustang was a Ford Falcon stretched a couple of inches.