1966 Mustang production Facts
1966 is one of the most popular Ford Mustang model years in the history of the car. In fact, March 1966 marked the creation of the millionth Mustang.
Although the first few years were very good for Ford and its sporty Mustang, 1966 was the year all the hard work really started to pay off. By 1966, most people began to associate the Ford Mustang with power and performance. It was the car to have if you needed a daily driver and it was the car to have if you needed a weekend cruiser with a sporty edge.
1966 Ford Mustang Production Statistics
Standard Convertible: 56,409 units
Luxury Convertible: 12,520 units
Convertible w/Bench Seats: 3,190 units
Standard Coupe: 422,416 units
Luxury Coupe: 55,938 units
Coupe w/Bench Seats: 21,397 units
Standard Fastback: 27,809 units
Luxury Fastback: 7,889 units
Specials:
- Only six Shelby G.T. 350 Convertibles were produced in 1966, all different colours, making them the rarest of Mustang convertibles. Shelby also produced 11 supercharged 1966 G.T.350S
- 333 High Country Specials produced. Only 35 of the 333 were convertibles. The High Country Special was a promotion that Ford ran from 1966-68. The Mustangs came in three special colours: Timberline Green, Columbine Blue, and Aspen Gold. All came with special emblems that dealers were free to mount where they wanted. They were only sold in Colorado, Wyoming, and parts of Nebraska.
- Hertz corporation ordered 1,001 of the G.T. 350s to offer as rentals. The side stripes read “G.T. 350H”, but the cars became know as “Rent-a-Racers.” Some cunning Mustang owners would rent the Shelbys, swap the motor with the motor in their Mustangs, and return them to Hertz. At $17 per day and 17 cents per mile, it was a good bargain for a Shelby engine. It was “uncool” to own a former rental car, so many of the cars were debadged after they were decommissioned. Thanks to the Shelby American Automobile Association, however, many of these cars have been found. More than 800 were made in black, and the other 200 or so were divided between red, green, blue, and white. Only the black models and a few white ones had stripes on the hood, but many owners added them to the other cars during restoration.
Ford broke the 1,000,000 Mustang mark in 1966–18 months after its introduction. To celebrate, Ford released the Sprint 200 Mustang. They were mechanically identical to other six-cylinder Mustangs, but had a chrome air cleaner and a special engine decal which read “Mustang powered Sprint 200.”
Total Production: 607,568 units
Retail Prices:
$2,652 Standard Convertible
$2,416 Standard Coupe
$2,607 Standard Fastback
1966 Model-Year Highlights
- New Wheels
- New Grille Pattern – ’66 loses its honeycomb grille in favour of a multi-bar treatment. The 1966 models had the running pony inside the corral free-floating on horizontal grille bars
- New Automatic Transmission Option for “Hi-Po” V-8 Models
- New Instrument Cluster – the instrument panel was redesigned with five round gauges, replacing the panel borrowed from the Ford Falcon for previous model years
- New Rocker-Panel Trim
- Revised Side Scoops – Each model receives three-pronged, chrome-plated wind splits in the C-shaped rear wheel scoop (except for the GT)
- Backup lights are added and the gas cap and side mirrors are duly restyled
Model-Year Overview
In all, there were minimal changes to the Mustang in 1966. Production began in August of 1965 and featured a line up of: Coupe, Convertible, and Fastback. In all, Ford produced 607,568 total Mustangs in 1966. The car sported additional new colors, a redesigned grille, new instrument cluster, and new styled wheels. An automatic transmission became available for the “Hi-Po” V-8. Side scoops featured chrome trim with three wind-splits, and GT models received a new gas cap and driving lamps as standard equipment.
Ford offered a choice of four different engine configurations in 1966:
- Engine Code T: 200 cubic inch I-6 engine @ 120hp w/9.2:1 compression and a one-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code C: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 200hp w/9.3:1 compression and two-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code A: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 225hp w/10.0:1 compression and a four-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code K: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 271hp w/10.5:1 compression and a four-barrel carburettor
Vehicle Identification Number Decoder
Example VIN #6FO8A100005
6=Last digit of Model Year (1966)
F=Assembly Plant (F-Dearborn, R-San Jose, T-Metuchen)
08=Body Code (07-coupe, 08-convertible, 09-fastback)
A=Engine Code
100005=Consecutive unit number
Coupe
Production Stats
1966 Ford Mustang Coupe
Standard Coupe: 422,416 units
Luxury Coupe: 55,938 units
Coupe w/Bench Seats: 21,397 units
Total Production: 499,751 units
Retail Price: $2,416 Standard Coupe
In 1966, Ford produced 499,751 Mustang coupes. As such, this model-year Mustang has been widely popular, with many 1966 Mustangs still on the road today. In fact, the 1966 coupe is the best selling Mustang of all time.
Features
- New Wheels
- New Grille Pattern
- New Instrument Cluster
- New Rocker-panel moulding
- Revised Side Scoops
The 1966 coupe featured a redesigned grille, new instrument cluster, and new styled wheels. An automatic transmission became available for the “Hi-Po” V8. Side scoops featured chrome trim with three wind-splits, and driving lamps were offered as optional equipment.
The coupe Mustang, as with all Mustangs, other than the GT, featured the Mustang Pony emblem directly behind the front wheel wells. Those coupes equipped with the high-performance 289 engine featured a special Hi-Po 289 emblem on the fenders.
Engine Offerings
- Engine Code T: 200 cubic inch I-6 engine @ 120hp w/9.2:1 compression and a one-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code C: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 200hp w/9.3:1 compression and two-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code A: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 225hp w/10.0:1 compression and a four-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code K: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 271hp w/10.5:1 compression and a four-barrel carburettor
Exterior Colours: Antique Bronze, Arcadian Blue, Brittany Blue, Candy Apple Red, Dark Moss Green, Emberglo, Ivy Green Metallic, Light Beige, Maroon Metallic, Medium Palomino Metallic, Medium Silver Metallic, Nightmist Blue, Raven Black, Sahara Beige, Sauterne Gold, Signalflare Red, Silver Blue, Silver Blue Metallic, Silver Frost, Springtime Yellow, Tahoe Turquoise, Vintage Burgundy, Wimbledon White
Convertible
Production Stats
1966 Ford Mustang Convertible
Standard Convertible: 56,409 units
Luxury Convertible: 12,520 units
Convertible w/Bench Seats: 3,190 units
Total Production: 72,119 units
Retail Price: $2,652 Standard Convertible
1966 was one of the most popular Ford Mustang model years in the history of the car, and the convertible model was no exception. More than 70,000 convertible Mustangs were sold in 1966. In fact, although the hardtop Mustang outsold the convertible model, it’s been said the 1966 Mustang Convertible outsold the Fastback almost three to one. There’s no denying the convertible Mustang was a hot commodity.
Features
- New Wheels
- New Grille Pattern
- New Instrument Cluster
- New Rocker-panel trim
- Revised Side Scoops
As for model year refinements, in all, the 1966 Convertible Mustang was very similar to the 1965 model. It did, however, feature a new grille pattern, a new instrument panel, and new colour options, such as the addition of Emberglo.
The grille of the 1966 Mustang Convertible featured, for the first time, a free-floating Pony emblem surrounded by horizontal grille bars. This provided for a sleeker looking Mustang, putting the previously used honeycomb grille pattern to rest.
Ford also did away with the Falcon instrument cluster in 1966 and replaced it with five round gauges, which had previously only been available as an added option. The new cluster featured a large speedometer, fuel gauge, ammeter, coolant temperature gauge, and an oil-pressure gauge. The interior featured padded sun visors as standard equipment, along with an eight-track sound-system as an optional add on. The glove box was also redesigned and a new woven design pattern replaced the standard vinyl seats featured in previous years.
For the upscale buyer, Ford offered the Pony interior package (Interior Decor Group Option), and what a package it was. It featured embossed seatbacks prominently featuring galloping Mustangs. It also featured walnut-grained vinyl dashboard and chrome trim throughout. Best of all, the cockpit featured courtesy lights and pistol-grip handles. Talk about creature comforts! In addition, the car’s convertible boot was colour-keyed to match the vehicle’s interior.
Additional upgrades to the 1966 Mustang convertible included new rocker-panel trim, optional remote mirrors, and the addition of Emberglo as a new colour option. You could even order an antenna for your Mustang for about $60.
Engine Offerings
- Engine Code T: 200 cubic inch I-6 engine @ 120hp w/9.2:1 compression and a one-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code C: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 200hp w/9.3:1 compression and two-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code A: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 225hp w/10.0:1 compression and a four-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code K: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 271hp w/10.5:1 compression and a four-barrel carburettor
Exterior Colors: Antique Bronze, Arcadian Blue, Brittany Blue, Candy Apple Red, Dark Moss Green, Emberglo, Ivy Green Metallic, Light Beige, Maroon Metallic, Medium Palomino Metallic, Medium Silver Metallic, Nightmist Blue, Raven Black, Sahara Beige, Sauterne Gold, Signalflare Red, Silver Blue, Silver Blue Metallic, Silver Frost, Springtime Yellow, Tahoe Turquoise, Vintage Burgundy, Wimbledon White
Fastback
Production Stats
1966 Ford Mustang Fastback
Standard Fastback: 27,809 units
Luxury Fastback: 7,889 units
Total Production: 35,698 units
Retail Price: $2,607 Standard Fastback
1966 was the last year Ford offered the original Mustang Fastback. Although the Mustang had a stellar year in sales, the Fastback experienced a 50-percent decrease in sales over the previous model year. In all, about 35,000 Mustang Fastbacks were produced in 1966, making this model highly sought after by Mustang collectors.
Features
- New Wheels
- New Grille Pattern
- New Instrument Cluster
- New Gas Cap
- No Rocker Panels on GT models
- No Side Scoops on GT Mustangs
- Driving Lamps Standard
In 1966, the Fastback featured a redesigned grille, new instrument cluster, and new styled wheels. An automatic transmission became available for the “Hi-Po” V8. Side scoops were absent on the GT model, making for a cleaner look, while driving lamps were offered as standard equipment. In addition, the GT featured side racing stripes which took the place of chrome rocker panels, giving the vehicle a serious performance racing look.
Although other Mustangs in 1966 sported the Mustang Pony emblem directly behind the front wheel wells, the GT Mustang featured a special GT emblem in its place. In addition, the letters “MUSTANG” were added to the lower front fender. The GT also featured the Hi-Po 289 Emblem, making it easy to spot one of these V-8 classics on the road. 1966 was also the first year Mustang featured standard backup lights.
One of the most distinct features of the 1966 Fastback Mustang is the car’s exit vents which work with the vehicle’s fully-functional silent-flo interior ventilation system.
The car also came with an AM radio.
Engine Offerings
- Engine Code T: 200 cubic inch I-6 engine @ 120hp w/9.2:1 compression and a one-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code C: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 200hp w/9.3:1 compression and two-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code A: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 225hp w/10.0:1 compression and a four-barrel carburettor
- Engine Code K: 289 cubic inch V-8 engine @ 271hp w/10.5:1 compression and a four-barrel carburettor
Exterior Colours: Antique Bronze, Arcadian Blue, Brittany Blue, Candy Apple Red, Dark Moss Green, Emberglo, Ivy Green Metallic, Light Beige, Maroon Metallic, Medium Palomino Metallic, Medium Silver Metallic, Nightmist Blue, Raven Black, Sahara Beige, Sauterne Gold, Signalflare Red, Silver Blue, Silver Blue Metallic, Silver Frost, Springtime Yellow, Tahoe Turquoise, Vintage Burgundy, Wimbledon White
Carroll Shelby
Carroll holds the reins of Ford’s GT racing program. For the enthusiast this means a network of performance aftermarket parts are making their way to participating dealers. The 289 cid V8 again is the highest output option with 306 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. However, with the Shelby parts system in place, the Mustang fanatic can build their own street legal R-model.
Do you have a breakout of production numbers between the three plants for 1966?
I have a crazy question. My 66 mustang is a still factory (except paint. Its in primer) lucury model.
Im curious. 607,568 total made in the model 66 year.
Mine has A weird vin then: 6F07C720295.
Date code is 21G. Or July 21 66..
How can that sequencial code be nearly 15,000 over the total made? This is driving me crazy. Halp
On the66 mustang convertible the only change that the owner wants done is a color change is to candy apple red the car is all original the car came from Colorado about 40 years ago it sit in abode shop covered with parts until now it had the motor 2v 289 no trans with 8″ rear end left door had no data plate on missing the rest is all there
Thanks for the update. I am always ready to stand corrected. Perhaps somebody else has the answer and could let us know. It’s certainly an unusual situation.
As soon as the car gets out of the paint shop( I do it all except paint) I can send you a photo of the serial number and I would like to know the date of production thanks
Send it over vin and door tag and i will what i can do.
I just purchased a 1966 GT Convertible in Wimbledon White bucket Pony Interior center console
Any educated guesses on how many were made in W-White?
Hi Mike, if you direct email me your vin numbers door and chassis I have access to a really good Mustang decoder out there which gives all sorts of info, I will see what comes out and send you the results. 👍
Hi Mike, Forgive me I have lost your details in swapping over office suite on the PC. Please can you email me the details again and i will look straight into it again for you. Sorry.
Date on the data plate when produced serial number 6R08C120017 and there is a J in the middle on one serial number on the inner panel in the serial number I have never seen this before can you help
Hi, it looks like you may have had some parts swapped out.
Hi blogger, i must say you have very interesting content here.
Your blog should go viral. You need initial traffic only. How to get it?
Search for; Mertiso’s tips go viral
Thanks for the info on engine codes and understanding of the vin.# it helped me on the investigation of a new vehicle of mine, does the vin .give the color of the car when it was new and trying to find out what the vehicle may be worth? Thanks
Thereally will be a tag on the door as well which will tell you the colour, interior spec, axle ratio, etc. Again this can all be decoded. If you send me details of vin and door tag I will decode it all for you and send you the pdf certificate of the details.
I have a 1966 luxury manual fastback for sale here in Adelaide Australia, it is on Carsales Australia and I am asking $45,000.00. Is this a reasonable price or is it cheap? Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. If you search Carsales.com.au it is the yellow on
Hi, I have just had a look through the add and that is a real nice car. I wouldn’t let it go for much less, especially with the great reg plate, pony interior, fogs, and a rare 4 speed. Most people like the Autos for ease so this is a drivers car for sure. As she is a small block 289 this is the standard engine, wirh super low milage. The car should command that sort of money if they are genuine miles and a matching numbers car (original engine, and gearbox). She looks great with a pretty clean underneath too. Slightly jealous now. 😎👍👍
Curious as what the difference in the Luxury and standard bodies were. I just had a 1966 fastback aquired to be fully restored for me. It is rare a its an A code that had a warranty engine replacement and they replaced it with a k- code engine (got the ford report documenting it). Its a GT with all the options possible on it.
My question still is what is different in the luxury and standard fastbacks??
Most of the time the luxury refers to the interior trims. The body didn’t change really, the factory GTs had exhausts out the rear valance etc and badge changes. But the records for the 64-66 cars were destroyed so there is no official record of what was on what car. A lot of the time the dealerships would make a standard car into a GT or even respray the cars as demand was so high for a particular colour. The trims for luxury or “Pony” interior would be seat trims, gauge dash, glove box lid, and door cards. Instances of centre console, the rare over head console or perhaps the wheels options might have been included, but that was down to the dealership on what they decided as luxury for a sales pitch. It’s all very vague for those early years. The only way is to get the door tag and engine vin to decode the spec of your car. Send me the details and I will decode for you.
I am thinking about getting a one owner 1966, white with blue interior, but the engine is a 6 cylinder, 200 cubic inch and an automatic. Can you tell me about the horsepower and what to expect when driving it uphill? Do you think this would be a good investment to buy?
Thank You
Hi Anne thanks for stopping by my blog.
I am more than happy to tell you what I know about the i6 (inline six) cars, but if you want to get specifics for investments I would seriously suggest you speak to Adam at Mustang Maniac (plenty of links on my blog) who will guide you through it. Some are worth a lot more than others, the v8’s are the cars that everybody knows and loves for the look, performance and noise. The i6 was much quitter, pleasant cruiser but it still has that classic Mustang look. The i6 was rated at 120bhp with a standard single valve carb, just over half of what the standard two valve carb v8’s were. The Mustang is a big heavy car and lots of uphills in the UK could make it run hot, and on the other side of the hill the drum brakes that were fitted as standard are plenty good enough on flats, but not designed for sustained mountain driving and could fade if they get they get hot too. The brakes would be a good place to start for an upgrade, and the Evans waterless coolant (sold by Mustang Maniac) will stop the over heating issues. Paperwork is important to show the car has been imported and the correct duties paid in the UK. I have driven a couple of i6 cars and they are nice to drive. The 3 speed auto I suspect you would have is a smooth box and a lot less hassle than a manual 3 speed, maybe not as much fun though. If you want a classic look car that would be better on fuel than the v8’s then the i6 is a nice choice. The fastback versions tend to be worth more money as they were rarer. But, please do speak to Adam for market values and the right car for you.
Hope that helps a bit. You just have to buy what you like. Mart.
Hey, Mart…they are having a Mustang Memories here in Dearborn to mark the 50th Anniversary of Mustang. Yes, we continue to have celebrations since this is the home of Henry Ford. I would have loved to go but…$50 is a little too much for me right now. Price of admission includes a goody bag which contains stuff like a t-shirt, lanyard, badge, plaques and more!!! Sounded like a great idea until I got to the $50 part!!! I wanted so badly to go and take pictures for you but… Maybe there will be some in the newspaper or on the internet. Anyway, keep up your love of the Mustang!!! On second thought, maybe I can sneak over and catch some photos. Who would pay any attention to an old lady like me!!!
Hi ya,
What a kind thought, I must admit cost sounds a bit high, but you do get goodies as you say. I would love to have gone myself. You could try the little lady bit or even better, just say you are working for my blog as the press liason officer. I would like to think they would let you in. 🙂
Hi! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?
There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your
content. Please let me know. Thanks
Hi,
By all means share my blog. Thanks for asking.
How many mustangs were made in color gray, email me
you can see why most popular model – gorgeous! Thanks for checking out my blog.
I Amy be a little bias here, but I think it was their best year! I would love any of these ponies from 64 to 69. What classic years they were.
I just bought a 66 Mustang and i’m looking for the right color
Hi,
Colours can be a complete nightmare, I am at the stage where I need to think about ot too. I have gone from black to white, red to blue all shades there is in between. I have seen a 66 convertible in a dark Alfa burgundy red at that looks quite sweet. The question is from the vin code do you go back to the original colour or go for what you want?
Impressive blog! Keep up the great work
Hi, thanks for stopping by and the kind comment. Much appreciated.
Really enjoyed reading this! Please check out the MotorApa.se if you like cars. It’s in Swedish but perhaps google translate can help you out 🙂
BR MotorApa
Thank you, I will pay it a visit.
What a great blog. My son and I want to buy a car, restore it, and drive it in the Cruise some day. Talk about Wishfulthinking, huh???
Hi,
Thanks for stopping by my blog and the follow. I didn’t know much about the restoration game but you soin learn. I would recommend doing it as the satisfaction when a little part you have worked on comes to life. It gives you a bit of a thrill. I so want to drive mine to a show or cruise but I have to be patient. There are more parts available for the first generation Mustang than I expected. As a bonus you get to meet lots of nice people who will help out where they can.
Please feel free to ask away and I will help if I can.
Wishful thinking indeed. My wish was to own one and drive it, im half way there now I hope.
Take care.
Mart.
Thanks for the reply. You’re right about the nice people. The car environment is a great one!!!
It didn’t look like my first reply went through so I’ll try again. Thanks for responding. The car environment certainly does contain some nice people. I’m excited about our venture into restoration.
Welcome to the restoration world.
A couple of good tips when starting out is to take your time and don’t buy the pretty bits until you need them. Get the basics right first to make a solid car, then add the badges last etc. Keep me updated. I would like to see what you go for. 🙂
OK, I will!!!
Look forward to it.
DOES ANY ONE KNOW THE PAINT CODE FOR A 1966 GT350 WHITE HOOD STRIPS bILL
Good question but I don’t know the answer, have you tried the Mustang Maniac Forum pages. There are some very well informed people on there who I expect would know.
Thanks for visiting my blog. I can see that you definitely have the bug. Keep the faith!
Thank you, one I will drive her.
Not everyone can be the King of Cool, which is what everyone driving a sixties Mustang imagines themselves looking like. The first time I went to San Francisco it was ‘so familiar’, all I could hear was the jazz score from Bullitt. At present I’m building another Caterham, From the later sixties I have a TR6, a real buff of a car, but fast with the fuel injection. American cars, I would like to find a Roadrunner. Great blog.
Hi Jack,
Thanks very much for the kind comment. I agree with you, being around any old mustang just makes you think of Bullitt, not everybody remembers the plot of the film but they sure remember the car chase though. A friend of mine had a TR6 and I was lucky enough to go out in once a long long time ago before they became the collectors cars they are now, it was fun then, let alone being fuel injected. Never been in a Caterham to be fair, not sure I would fit in one, but I may get in one someday for a blast! As for the Road Runner – ohhh yeah. Not many around especially over here, I would to have a go in one of them babies that’s for sure.
My first car was a 1964 Mustang all 100% original. My dad told me I would regret selling it and he was right.
20 years later I’m in desperate need of a car. Worst part is my father is no longer around to help me look for one.
Please email me ASAP.
Thank you,
-Myrna
You can email me via my contact page anytime.
Loved the VIN explanation!
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for the comment and taking time out to read the post.
Thank you.
Awesome! Just the way I would like to read about a CAR! 😀
Hi Sid,
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Glad you like it.