First Mustang Hardtop Ever Built Heads to Auction!
Mustang #00002, used in the upcoming Ford vs. Ferrari flick, crosses the block at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, Jan. 12-20.
These days, rare is a relative term. It gets tossed around a lot in the world of collectible automobiles, of course. But what, exactly, constitutes the use of the word? Maybe it’s a car that’s one of a thousand, or maybe a hundred. But all of that goes out the window when you’re talking about the first Mustang hardtop ever built. Which also happens to be serial #00002. And amazingly enough, that’s the very car you see before you.
Yes, the first Mustang hardtop ever is still alive and kicking. And it’s set to cross the block at Barrett-Jackson’s flagship Scottsdale auction, January 12-20. But the true identity of this historical ride remained a mystery for decades. That is, until retired airline pilot and automobile historian Bob Fria discovered the special Mustang after some exhaustive research. An extensive two-year restoration followed, returning the car to its original condition. As it turns out, this is the same pony car used in the 20th Century Fox Pictures feature film Ford v. Ferrari, slated for Summer 2019.
Fria put the car up for sale May 20, 2017, at the Mecum Auto Auction in Indianapolis. The initial catalog estimate was $450,000-$650,000. And yet, the Mustang failed to meet the reserve price with a $300,000 top bid. Thus, number 2 is back for another shot, this time at one of the largest collector car auctions on the planet.
This incredible piece of Mustang history is one of only a handful of pre-production cars left in existence today. Car #00001, a convertible, is owned by Ford and on display at The Henry Ford Museum. Thus, this Caspian Blue hardtop is the closest you’ll ever get to owning the “first” Mustang ever built. For that reason alone, we wouldn’t be surprised at all to see some pretty intense bidding this January.
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