On this Day, March 9, 1964, Ford began production of its new sports car, the Mustang.

At that moment in time, the U.S. economy was booming, the first Beatles record had just been released, LBJ had announced his War on Poverty, and the country was still trying to shake off the November 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Cars were a positive distraction, and the release of the Ford Mustang was no exception.

The Mustang’s styling, with its long hood and short deck, proved wildly popular and inspired a host of competition.

At a base price of $2,368, it was originally intended to be a mid-engine two-seated roadster, but that changed when the sales of the Thunderbird increased after adding a back seat.

Since it was introduced four months before the normal start of the 1965 production year, the earliest Mustangs are widely referred to as the 1964½ model by enthusiasts.

Before the car officially hit the sales floor on April 17, 1964, Ford wanted every dealership to have a...