1965 Ford Mustang Fastback: An American Ex-Pat in México

Words and photography by Driving La Carrera

The history of the iconic Mustang is intertwined with México, from American-made Mustangs in México, to Mexican-made Mustangs in America, both countries can claim the car as one of its own. So what do we make of a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback that left its home in Dearborn, MI for a life across the border? Is an ex-pat Mustang in México just another car, or is it something more?

 In 1972 a young surgeon purchased this 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback 289 in Monterrey, Mexico. He drove it for thirty years, day or night, whenever the hospital needed him. The car was cared for like one of his patients, a little doctoring when necessary, but otherwise keep it stock original.

Now retired and in his 70's, Dr. Luis has given his beloved Mustang to his friend Gustavo Pérez to sell to its next owner. It won't take long. Mexicans have always been fans of first-generation Mustangs, partly because they are homegrown.

This mustang is special because it’s a fastback…there Are very few cars like this in Mexico.

In 1965-66 Mustangs were assembled by Ford in their México City plant. Engines, sheet metal, interiors, and chrome came from America, while glass, transmission, wiring harnesses, brakes, among other parts, were sourced from Mexican suppliers. This icon of American car culture has always had one wheel across the border.

No one knows how this '65 Fastback got to Monterrey, MX, where Dr. Luis purchased it in 1972. In 1965 the only body style sold or imported in México was the hard top coupe. That makes a '65 Fastback a rare pony in a country that considers the Mustang as one of its own.

I can tell you the car drives really nice. When you sit behind the steering wheel, you change, you feel something. It’s a special car.

What does it mean to be an American car icon living across the border? We call people who leave their country of birth to permanently live in another ex-patriots or ex-pats. Can a car be an ex-pat?

Does leaving the country make an icon less or more American?

Tina Turner is an ex-pat. The "Queen of Rock-n-Roll” has lived in Switzerland since 1994. Still, when she roars out "Proud Mary," what we hear is the voice of America. A voice that says anything is possible, and the best is yet to come. Does the roar of a Ford 289 V8 say anything less?

At any car meet-up, anywhere, you'll find different people from different places brought together by two things, a love of cars and a love of car culture. Roll down to Puebla, MX, where Gustavo has Dr. Luis's Fastback in his dealership, and you can strike up a conversation with the car guys and gals there about your car, their car, or any car. The culture of cars has no border.

 In México, Fastbacks are called "burbuja", the bubble, for the rear window's unmistakable shape. This one, being all stock, is a pony you don't see everyday, anywhere.

Dr. Luis's Mustang is Caspian Blue with a black vinyl interior, a 289 4V High-Performance V8, and a 3 speed automatic. It has AC at the front of the center console, which was a dealer bolt-in option. Because of the two small back seats, the early Fastbacks were called the Mustang 2x2, and this one carries that badging on the front fenders.

 In 1966 Carol Shelby teamed up with parts distributor Eduardo Velazquez Contreras to sell Shelby American performance parts in México. A year later, Ford's Mexican operation started assembly of a Shelby de Mexico G.T. 35O, based on the hard top body style. The Mexican Shelbys had several unique body and interior elements, including C-pillar extensions that created a Fastback-style roofline. In México, the Fastback is king.

The power of the car says everything. That’s why the people in México love these cars.

The Mustang’s cross-border connections cemented its status as the most desirable American muscle car in México. People there have always identified with the bold spirit of the car and take pride in their connection with Ford. Today, the Mexican-made Shelby G.T. 350 is the most desirable Mexican-made Mustang in America.

 Ex-pats carry with them the indelible character of their homelands as they adapt and adopt the culture of their new homes. Dr. Luis’s ’65 Fastback is still a pure American muscle car, but the Mexican miles its travelled have given the car something it might not have had back home, gravitas.

When this pony sings its voice says “anything is possible and the best is yet to come,” and people, on both sides of the border, listen and believe.