I miss my pony. 1993 Fox.. the new mustang pushed me back when I was ready to buy. I don't like the computer Speed amateur. If I could get the old school I would buy one.. thank you J for this pony I love the history with it. N the gt40 drop in..
The neighbor a house down, had twin daughters that got their drivers license and each a brand new 64 1/2 Mustang on the same day.... I wanted one so bad...and the car too....
In April 1964 I was 19 and in college. I knew a girl whose mother owned the Ford dealership in La Junta, Colorado. One evening I was hanging with some other students when Carol came around driving this super cool car. Her mother had let her borrow it, the first Mustang brought into Southeastern Colorado. It was orange with black vinyl interior. Carol took all of us for short rides in it. Great memory.
I bought a 1966 Chevy Caprice with the 396 big block V8 engine! The back seat was built big enough for me and 2 of my fave gfs❤😅! Hot dang 💥try that in a pony car!🤣😳🇺🇸
When Bill Ford was put in charge of Ford Heavy Trucks he obtained a CDL license to be in touch (paraphrasing) with his customers. We love that guy. He has been on air at Christmas fund raising actually answering phones, he drives himself to work, and he's a cool guy!
Bill Ford is so down to earth........ and the relaxed conversation is fantastic! I knew the sound of that GT40 engine, but never knew it was in the pace car.... as you all know, you really can't hear the pace cars engines on the tract....... as soon as it fired, I went....GT? how cool! Can you imagine how much power that car really has- if Jay even halfway put his foot in it!!!!!!!
Jay, please, please visit Bill in Detroit and let him show you (and us) around! His enthusiasm for the cars, the city, and history matches yours perfectly! That would be an EPIC show (not that this one wasn't)!
29:21 ... What Bill Ford has done with the old Detroit central train station is simply stunning. Late 90's, from Chicago, a buddy and I went to the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village (the museum is great, but Greenfield Village! ... went back a few years later, too much to see & do, like ride on a steam train, ride in a Model T, etc.) ... anyway, my buddy and I afterwards did a little exploring of the infamous downtown Detroit ruins (Chicago had/has them too) and drove right up to the old train station, it dominated the decimated downtown horizon, which looked more barren than if hit by a nuclear bomb -- almost no buildings, surrounding neighborhoods had no homes, no fire hydrants, even the sidewalks were gone. I can be stupid careless when I go exploring, and my buddy and I were curious, but we decided it too risky to go inside the massive, windowless, towering, somehow defying the elements, a bit spooky, but still majestic old station. Fast forward to now, the station restored, haven't been there yet ... Just wow! ... Kudos to Bill Ford! For a nice interview, search: "Bill Ford: I couldn't give up on Michigan Central Station renovation"
I wouldn’t imagine any of these comments get back to Jay, but this episode is one of my favorites because of all the extra stories about Ford history and just whatever else pops up. I’ve just learned about your wife. I don’t know how difficult life might be right now, but I am a social worker and have been in service to families and patients in your circumstances. Praying for you and your family and that you find gentle caregivers able to assist in navigating now and the moments to come. I’m grateful for your willingness to share your talents with the world. I’d imagine that there’s nothing I would have to offer in service directly to you and your family, except to pay it forward to the ones I have access to here in my little north eastern Mississippi town. - Stanford
Social media is full of ick. Your kindness to Mr. Leno is a reminder of what SM can and should be. It makes life easier to have hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank, and it makes life more fun when you have hundreds of cars and motorcycles to play with, but neither of these undoes the pain of having your life partner afflicted with a terrible condition as Ms. Leno now has. Thank you for speaking for me in your beautifully kind words!
Thank you, Jay and Bill! I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched this wonderful trip down memory lane with two members of automotive loyalty! Truly a gift for us on this Labor Day. Bless you boys 😊
There isn’t another “car” show that has the “personality” this has! Thank you to Jay for sharing his passion with us. My hart goes out to him as he cares for Mavis.
I was a little kid when the Mustang came out and it's hard to convey how much of a phenomenon it was. This is an amazing part of automotive history, thanks for presenting it!
I remember that too. The really big story in those days was Ford vs Ferrari. We felt such national pride seeing those GT40's coming in 1,2.3 at LeMans.
My best friend's Dad got one in 65. All the kids admired it! When we sooner tuned 16, he shared it with his mom. Only problem was that neither of them wanted to put gas in it.
I love Jay’s story about his lot boy days at Ford, and can you imagine driving the actual pace car you drooled over as a 14 year old. Hearing these little trinkets about his early days and involvement with cars is absolutely wonderful. There simply isn’t another car RUclipsr like Jay.
I have been in tears since the beginning of this video. I don't know why, accept for Bill and Jay being the fans of the cars they are. Sorry Jay, but you look older, me too. I loved the talk you guys had, it made me appreciate what a wonderful thing Ford has been for the United States of America. The history is a beautiful reminder of why I love this country. I told my wife that she married and old sap, I'm not sure why this made me so emotional. God bless both of you.
Jay congrats on getting Bill Ford and this car on your show. Truly one of the best shows I have watched. I sure hope we have another 20 years of your shows. God bless.
Jay said 400,000 ‘64 Mustangs were - unbelievably - made. Yeah, they were built so fast sometimes stuff got left off. My 1965 1/2 GT fastback came with a generous handful of spare fasteners in the glove box. Or so I thought. Within a month or two I had used most of those nuts and bolts as I found places on the car that needed them. One afternoon I was driving on Michigan Ave in Dearborn, when one of the mufflers came loose. Checked the glove box stock & found 2 large self-tappers that fastened the muffler bracket to the hanger. Fixed it right in the Ace Hardware parking lot just a couple of miles from Ford World Headquarters. Years later, I bought rebuild kits for the front disc brake calipers. The right side fit fine, but the left side wouldn’t allow the pistons to fit far enough into the bores. Turned out my car was a very late 1965 1/2 build and there had been a change to the calipers for 1966 model year. My car got a 1965 caliper on the right and a 1966 caliper on the left side! By the time I ran across this anomaly I had been working for Ford long enough to not be surprised by of anything in the automotive world.
Glad to see this pace car still drivable. The Mustang is an Iconic car. Like many car guys I bought one when I was 26. It was my first new car. It was a base model LX 5.0 5-speed no air stripped out car. I bought it that way to be light and fast. I took second place at the Muscle car magazines Nationals drag racing it in 1988. It was my daily driver then my toy. I had it for 14 years until I was 40. Not having air, modified with Nitrous, race gears and other go fast stuff it wasn't too practical for when we were expecting a child. Like many adult family men I sold it and bought a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix at least it was a GTP with the supercharger....Will get another Mustang and modify it to have fun again...
My pop drove our 1956 Buick past a Ford dealership each day to and from work. Once they put a Mustang in the showroom window he didn't pass by too many times until he traded it in on a 64 1/2. We drove it from Chicago to California that summer.
Didn't realize, or believe, it was the ACTUAL Pace Car, until they raised the hood, bonnet for you Brit's. With all that bracing, and the Thunderbird Gold air filter cover, and the Orange Koni shocks and then when Jay turned the key, there was no doubt about it. Preserving automotive history is very important, and specific one off pieces, like this Mustang are a perfect example of what should be saved. Thank You Bill and Jay.
Well what about calling the trunk the "boot" and calling a truck a "Lorry"? i don't know, it's like the English have a different word for everything. I was just trying to be humorous. Guess it didn't work.
@@DallasG83 That's the world we live in so might as well get used to it. I've been hearing those British terms so long that my brain immediately translates and I don't give them a second thought.
I am a hardcore Corvette / Chevy guy, but this particular car is one of my favorite Fords of all time. To the point I've research it extensively for a scale model I am building. I am a big Indy fan. From what I have researched, this car was not Wimbledon white. Holman Moody re-sprayed it a slightly brighter white (apparently a fleet color) so it would show brighter on TV and newspaper. Not sure how accurate that statement is. This was a really enjoyable episode. A true historically significant car. By the way, with all due respect you said no other sports car has lasted this long. I'll let it slip but let me point you to the Corvette 🤣 More than a Corvette guy, I'm a car guy. Thank you Jay!
The Ford family are such genuine down to earth people . Thanks for all they have done for Detroit and America over the last 100+ years. Really great to see Jay and Bill just talk like a couple of buds on a casual cruise . Greenfield Village has the awesome Henry Ford museum an tribute to all Americans and what our inventive, industrial , and quality work has achieved. Yes it has competitors cars of significance there too. Mustang is the last one standing in our automotive sports/muscle car continuous production. Legendary Icon That Pace car has such a great story behind it.
Jay got dressed up for this one; very smart looking; interesting that Bill Ford is the great grandson of the founder of Firestone as well as the founder of Ford; two greats of the motor vehicle industry.
I've been fortunate enough to meet Jay Leno twice. Both times he was a true gentleman. The second time my son was with me. My son was 13 years old at the time. He took a minute to actually have a short conversation with my son. It actually hurts to see Jay getting older and a little frail.
Met him once on stage after one of his shows. Tried to get a committment from him to see his car collection. He was speechless. Dead silence for ten seconds as hs looked at his watch. Then I reframed the question. Again, he was speechless. He wanted to say yes, but did not know how to. Finally, I let him off the hook. Thought, maybe it would get back to me as my brother was friends with his producer. I was that close.
@@thyslop1737 I too would love to see his car collection. But both times that I met him, it never occurred to me to ask him such a request. I was just happy to talk with him.
Great video. It includes all my iconic stories. I got a 1990 Ford Mustang with Fords version of high speed pursuit for law enforcement. 5.0 HO. Ended up handing it down to my nephew to restore. AJ Foyt lived shortly up the road between Waller and Hempstead. Finally any man who carries the Ford name on through the generations. Henry was an astounding individual with a true passion.
I was 7 years old when my parents (actually Dad) took receivership of a 65 mustang blue exterior/white interior 289 w/ a four speed. We drove 4 hours to a San Antonio ford dealership to pick it up. Dad traded his 49 ford pick-up with an Old's V/8 for it. He drag raced that car for several years and later the car was made street-able for me and all of my brothers and sisters to drive while in high school. It had evolved through several variations over the 15 years we owned it. The final version we drove had a 302 w/ a solid tappet cam (Ford Lemans cam) 4 barrel, HP heads, 4 speed, 9" ford rearend and Torino front disk brakes. It was candy apple red with a black interior. Man, it was fast. Back in the 70's it commanded a lot of respect from my Chevy and Mopar friends while in HS.
I love this! I was 15 years old when the 64 1/2 Mustang came out. My father worked at the Ford Rotunda building, and then Ford''s World Headquarters in Public Relations. I worked at FoMoCo in Manufacturing from 1973 - 2007. I have so many great memories from my years at Ford. I delivered pizzas in my 1965 Ford Mustang at Eastern Michigan University while attending college there. I worked on the S197 Mustang program released for production in 2005 at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant. I have met Mr. Ford on several occasions during lunch breaks at Fairlane Mall in Dearborn. He was always such a gentleman, and so enthusiastic about his company! I always thought the commercials should say "Bill Ford Tough!"
I was three years old when I saw my first Mustang at the World’s Fair in New York. My parents brought us to the World’s Fair four times when it was there that year. I’ll never forget it. What a treat!
It must be amazing being friends or at least in Jays good graces. Guy is funny, intelligent and willing to share with anyone. We should all be so lucky ❤️
Had to click on this the moment I saw it and given it's the 60th year of the Mustang, it is fitting to see one of the very first cars off the line still going strong after all these years.
This was definitely the best episode of this show that has been put out in a long while now. Excellent, non-repetitive conversation from both parties that was perfectly logical and easy to follow, at least one, if not two, completely new and interesting stories from Jay's past that were genuinely relevant to the conversation, and an excellent, interesting, and amazing sounding car to show off in the background to top it all off. Very refreshing to have one of these types of episodes again that just hits every mark of good entertainment perfectly again. These types of episodes used to be more common, but I get that there's only so many instances available in a given area/to a given person where everything just jives together perfectly like this.
I grew up in Indy and remember seeing this car on the track. This was back in the day when the race was a class event. The 60s were the greatest time for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
As a Ford employee in Detroit, my dad owned one of the very first regular production Mustangs. White coupe with blue interior. 260 2v automatic. We would come out of a store and there would 10-15 people standing around the car. Whenever we drove it people would point and speed up to drive alongside it. The closest I've ever been to being a celebrity!!
Now there is a story I didn't know!! I knew Jay got fired from Wilmington Ford, but didn't know he wrote letters to the execs at Ford asking if they could help him get his job back. Hilarious!! I never purchased anything from Wilmington Ford, but my brother did. LOL A 1978 Mercury Zephyr Z7 2 door coupe with 3 on the floor. I learned to drive a stick in that car. HAHAHA. He bought it in 1980. Nice job Jay! I never would have thought of that!!
I love this. Mustang is one of my favorite cars of all time. We both have the same April 17th birthday. I was brought home from the hospital in my mom's black hatchback Fox body.
What a great video, thank you Jay and thank you Bill Ford for bringing this car to light! I can still remember a few days before April 17th, 1964, the official release date, when the local Ford dealer had masked all the showroom windows in anticipation of the debut of the Mustang, it was very exciting, there was nothing like it on the road. I have owned many Mustangs since then and have absolutely loved every one of them. Long live the Ford Mustang!
I am old enough to have been watching this car lead the pack at Indy in 1964, two months before my twelfth birthday. Thanks Jay and Bill for this memory! I remember those hilarious radio ads, talking about the "Big Six Engine!" I was reading everything I could get about motors, especially articles about engine building by Smokey Yunick, and they were touting a six as being "big." LOL!
Jay having access to Burbank airport cracks me up. I was a corporate pilot and flew there many times always hoping to see Jay drive a car. It never happened but a guy can dream.
I'm curious why they decided to drive it at the airport instead of taking it for a spin on the streets, driving to La Tuna Canyon and back. Could it be to test its speed, or is it not street legal, or is it an insurance requirement?
This is the coolest and most historically significant Mustang that I never knew existed until now. It’s gotta be worth a fortune. One of the best JLG videos in quite some time. Thanks Jay.
It's always special to have Automotive Royalty present here at Jay Lenos Garage. He's a wealth of knowledge and you will always hear fantastic stories and interesting facts... Thank you for this. I'm a Mustang man for life...
In 1964 we lived in SoCal, San Diego area. I remember the saturation of the TV adds with the wild horses, and the subsequent theme song She’s all neat, with bucket seats, M-M-Mustang. We visited the Ford dealer. They had one on the showroom floor. Don’t touch the display car. No test drives. Two month waiting list. Dad said no. My older brother bought a ‘66 Mustang. It had the base 289 V-8, three speed manual transmission. He drove the wheels off of that car. It was all so long ago.
My dad and my moms 3 brothers were all FORD guys in the 50s and 60s. In 1966 my dad won a new 66 Mustang in a contest. I was 10 years old at the time. That stuck with me and have always driven Mustangs
I could Jay was enjoying himself. To drive not only à Mustang, but the 1st year model that was the pase car of the biggest race in automobile racing! WOW! For me, I would love to be in that car mining my two loves Fords and Aviation! Speeding around Burbank Airport had to be a hoot! Good for you Jay! Keep on Rollin' man. Love ya Jay!😊
I enjoyed this video to the fullest. Two of my favorite Ford car owners beside me. Great job. Meet Mr. Bill Ford at the Ford Shareholder meeting 15 years ago at the Dupont Hotel. He autograph my Ford racing jacket.
Wow, talk about 3 degrees of separation between these two. All the stories and intertwining people from years past. Super cool episode of Jay Leno's Garage. I really enjoyed this!
I was born early 1965 & remember The Mustang was at the NYC World Fair entrance; from my parents' photos they took as I was a baby at the time! I own a White 2016 Mustang GT W/ 13K miles & love it because it was born same time as me! This was an EPIC episode W/ Bill & jay dropping gold bars 🏁💯💥 - Ford Performance #1
Growing up in Detroit in the 50's and 60's, the first car I was really gobsmacked over was the Ford Mustang with the 289 Hi-Po engine. A kid on the East side had one in racing green with white stripes and Cragar style wheels. I still covet that car.
I grew up on the East side of Detroit. I owned a dark grey hardtop 66 Mustang 289 HiPo. I met that guy at a gas station in Grosse Pointe Woods. Do you remember the Burgandy Fastback 289 HiPo with Cragar wheels cruising 8 mile road at the same time? That guy worked at Roy O'Brien Ford. He has a RUclips channel today You are right, you will never forget the 289 solid lifter cruising down a boulevard sound. Great Times!!
Anyone that knows me, knows I am no fan of Fords. Especially Mustangs. But, this was a special show. Love anything Jay does and the significance of Ford and the Mustang are not lost on me. There have been a few Fords that I have lusted over. 63 Galaxie/427. 67 Fairlane GTA. ANY GT40 and a 32 hiboy. I did have a smile on my face watching this whole episode.
It's amazing how far the engineering and efficiency of engines have advanced over the years. I was born in 1971 and when I was a kid and someone just got a muscle car from the 1960s, they'd be asked, "nice! What does it have in it? Small block? Big block, 427?" and if the answer was, "no, just a six cylinder," and then people would try to hide their disappointment and still be enthusiastic, "wow the interior is in beautiful shape!" Now, when someone gets a modern muscle car and when they say they have a six cylinder, the response is usually something like, "a six? Nice! What's it got, 350-400 hp?" There are a lot of great _four_ cylinders - the Mustang 4 cyl puts out over 300 hp and are fun to drive. Arguably more fun than bigger, more powerful engines. You can use all the power in them in real world situations.
@@robertfandel9442 I definitely agree with you. You can't replace the sound that comes with 8, 10 and 12 cylinder engines. Although, some manufacturers try, with artificial engine sounds. I can see it used in EVs, so people can safely hear a car approaching, because EVs by definition, are quiet. When they do it to, "enhance" the sound of an ICE, it seems silly to me. Why design a car with a quiet or disappointing (for lack of a better word) exhaust note, then put speakers and a system to _play_ a deeper, more aggressive one? Lol
In 1964 I was ten years old and already a confirmed "gearhead". I remember my group of pals having a dispute over which was better, the year old Stingray or the new Mustang. We had a vote that ended in a dead heat, then loudly proclaimed the virtue of our choice of American sports car. I can't recall which I voted for, but in reality was crazy about both of them. My oldest son has a 2013 Mustang GT that he bought new and has nicely modified. The exhaust note on that car will make the hair on your neck stand on end! What a great car to have on this channel. There's no one more connected in the car world--top to bottom--than Jay Leno. See you at Indy!
Late 1964 a friend of mine in high school was lucky enough to get a mustang, 289 3 speed. His dad owned a feed mill in Camden, oh. in shop class we welded cutouts under it sounded fantastic. Now approx 6 7 miles south of town was Collinsville ,oh. We would open the cut outs and fly down the country roads, and there you could buy a gallon of draft beer for $1.25, great days.
60 years later and still can’t get enough of the Mustang! Thanks Jay for all you do for us car enthusiasts!
I 2nd that..
I miss my pony. 1993 Fox.. the new mustang pushed me back when I was ready to buy. I don't like the computer Speed amateur. If I could get the old school I would buy one.. thank you J for this pony I love the history with it. N the gt40 drop in..
I really liked that story about Jay getting his job back.
Two things about Mr. Leno. He has always loved cars, and he has always had a mouth. :)
Yeah he's kind of known for being hard to push off a job. Fair play to Jay.
Any story he tells involving a car is an absolute gem.
Classic Jay and a good lesson on persistent.
The neighbor a house down, had twin daughters that got their drivers license and each a brand new 64 1/2 Mustang on the same day....
I wanted one so bad...and the car too....
LOL!
@@Geardrive427-ip8vj yes...but explain that to a 16 year old....I'll take the car any day now
@@Geardrive427-ip8vj so, they can go out and buy a 64 1/2 mustang????
AFTER THAT AMAZING COMMENT YOUR NAME @fourbanger HAS A WHOLE NEW ORA AROUND IT LOL GBYAA!!!!!!!!!!
@@JohnMacintyre-cl5nu I drive a banger powered 93 year old car every day....
In April 1964 I was 19 and in college. I knew a girl whose mother owned the Ford dealership in La Junta, Colorado. One evening I was hanging with some other students when Carol came around driving this super cool car. Her mother had let her borrow it, the first Mustang brought into Southeastern Colorado. It was orange with black vinyl interior. Carol took all of us for short rides in it. Great memory.
As 9. Yr old I snuck into back lot on Fri nite ford dealers they had. 3. There outside 😊😊
"CAROL WAS MADE OF GOLD💛"
I bought a 1966 Chevy Caprice with the 396 big block V8 engine! The back seat was built big enough for me and 2 of my fave gfs❤😅! Hot dang 💥try that in a pony car!🤣😳🇺🇸
Carol sounds like marriage material. Wonder how all that ended up in 2024.
Great memory though. Ty for sharing!
I was born in 1962 in LaJunta. Did you know the Starks? They owned a furniture store
I like how Leno's formal clothes are also denim themed 😂
Since he bought a $500k Rolls Royce Specter he’s dressing fancier 🤣👍
The Ozempic made his old clothes no longer fit.
The thinner he gets, the higher his waistband rides. He reminds me of my grandpa.
Is very cool mustang
Right... LoL I did a double-take. "Oh, I see he stepped it up a notch."
When Bill Ford was put in charge of Ford Heavy Trucks he obtained a CDL license to be in touch (paraphrasing) with his customers. We love that guy. He has been on air at Christmas fund raising actually answering phones, he drives himself to work, and he's a cool guy!
Bill Ford is so down to earth........ and the relaxed conversation is fantastic! I knew the sound of that GT40 engine, but never knew it was in the pace car.... as you all know, you really can't hear the pace cars engines on the tract....... as soon as it fired, I went....GT? how cool! Can you imagine how much power that car really has- if Jay even halfway put his foot in it!!!!!!!
Thanks👆
Thanks👆
Says 2 replies before mine. Why can't I see them? I know comments have been tame besides banging twin sisters early-ish. 😂
Words CANNOT describe what a wonderful thing Jay does for us because of his true LOVE for cars!!
This video is a perfect example!!
Thank you Jay ...
Agreed! (see my previous comment) --- Leno is one of those rare things, An American Treasure!
Jay, please, please visit Bill in Detroit and let him show you (and us) around! His enthusiasm for the cars, the city, and history matches yours perfectly! That would be an EPIC show (not that this one wasn't)!
29:21 ... What Bill Ford has done with the old Detroit central train station is simply stunning.
Late 90's, from Chicago, a buddy and I went to the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village (the museum is great, but Greenfield Village! ... went back a few years later, too much to see & do, like ride on a steam train, ride in a Model T, etc.) ... anyway, my buddy and I afterwards did a little exploring of the infamous downtown Detroit ruins (Chicago had/has them too) and drove right up to the old train station, it dominated the decimated downtown horizon, which looked more barren than if hit by a nuclear bomb -- almost no buildings, surrounding neighborhoods had no homes, no fire hydrants, even the sidewalks were gone. I can be stupid careless when I go exploring, and my buddy and I were curious, but we decided it too risky to go inside the massive, windowless, towering, somehow defying the elements, a bit spooky, but still majestic old station.
Fast forward to now, the station restored, haven't been there yet ... Just wow! ... Kudos to Bill Ford!
For a nice interview, search: "Bill Ford: I couldn't give up on Michigan Central Station renovation"
Dearborn’
Great idea
I wouldn’t imagine any of these comments get back to Jay, but this episode is one of my favorites because of all the extra stories about Ford history and just whatever else pops up. I’ve just learned about your wife. I don’t know how difficult life might be right now, but I am a social worker and have been in service to families and patients in your circumstances. Praying for you and your family and that you find gentle caregivers able to assist in navigating now and the moments to come. I’m grateful for your willingness to share your talents with the world. I’d imagine that there’s nothing I would have to offer in service directly to you and your family, except to pay it forward to the ones I have access to here in my little north eastern Mississippi town. - Stanford
Social media is full of ick. Your kindness to Mr. Leno is a reminder of what SM can and should be. It makes life easier to have hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank, and it makes life more fun when you have hundreds of cars and motorcycles to play with, but neither of these undoes the pain of having your life partner afflicted with a terrible condition as Ms. Leno now has. Thank you for speaking for me in your beautifully kind words!
Thank you, Jay and Bill! I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched this wonderful trip down memory lane with two members of automotive loyalty! Truly a gift for us on this Labor Day. Bless you boys 😊
Yes, automotive royalty!
Wow. Just wow. All the"useless" trivia is so interesting. So now we know how the name Motorola came about.
ford earning some cred here on labor day by mentioning that industrialists called him a communist @23:12, never more relevant
There isn’t another “car” show that has the “personality” this has! Thank you to Jay for sharing his passion with us. My hart goes out to him as he cares for Mavis.
Yes!!!!! Bring that 68 Torino when it's done. I would love to see it.
Leno's letter writing campaign story is inspiring. Take note people. This is a strategy for success.
@@Fig-220S Love it, thats awesome!
Thank you Jay, your channel is a gift for the ages!
Saw. At world's. Fair. NYC.
I was a little kid when the Mustang came out and it's hard to convey how much of a phenomenon it was. This is an amazing part of automotive history, thanks for presenting it!
I was 13, I remember all the buzz the Mustang received.
I remember that too. The really big story in those days was Ford vs Ferrari. We felt such national pride seeing those GT40's coming in 1,2.3 at LeMans.
My girlfriends dad bought one and it was a cool looking ford falcon basically
My best friend's Dad got one in 65. All the kids admired it! When we sooner tuned 16, he shared it with his mom. Only problem was that neither of them wanted to put gas in it.
Mustang owner here, thank you Bill for keeping it alive.
What a Life this man has lived, unbelievable Jay you rock Dude.
Jay .... you are true Automotive Royalty !
I love Jay’s story about his lot boy days at Ford, and can you imagine driving the actual pace car you drooled over as a 14 year old. Hearing these little trinkets about his early days and involvement with cars is absolutely wonderful. There simply isn’t another car RUclipsr like Jay.
Thanks👆
I think it's so Jay that he's telling the literal head of Ford who IS a Ford the history of his family's company
That information is for us the audience
Somebody should--the guy named a crossover four-door EV a "Mustang" and thought that was okay.
@@Thisthat1234 yeah, it's for the 'camera'. I love that he does it, because I do catch some new info that may have not been mentioned.
@@ChuckG92& used the 'Maverick' nameplate on a pick-up...
😆
No one has driven more of the coolest cars on earth than Jay Leno. Lucky duck!
Scotty Kilmer
The exhaust note on this car is perfection! 🪧
I have been in tears since the beginning of this video. I don't know why, accept for Bill and Jay being the fans of the cars they are. Sorry Jay, but you look older, me too. I loved the talk you guys had, it made me appreciate what a wonderful thing Ford has been for the United States of America. The history is a beautiful reminder of why I love this country. I told my wife that she married and old sap, I'm not sure why this made me so emotional. God bless both of you.
So true and Henry Ford wrote a great book that is quite censured but you might enjoy it. 🤓
Love how Jay was giving Mr Ford a history lesson on Ford...
Indeed. How arrogant and presumptuous.
Ford is a mutt. Buried the Detroit Lions into obscurity. His mom and sister took over and look what happened. Nepotism to a T.
Thank you Mr. Ford and Jay for this great episode!
Jay congrats on getting Bill Ford and this car on your show. Truly one of the best shows I have watched. I sure hope we have another 20 years of your shows. God bless.
I'm now 62 and I've owned 12. They just get in your blood. Thank you Jay and Bill.
Jay is sounding and looking better.
Jay said 400,000 ‘64 Mustangs were - unbelievably - made. Yeah, they were built so fast sometimes stuff got left off.
My 1965 1/2 GT fastback came with a generous handful of spare fasteners in the glove box. Or so I thought. Within a month or two I had used most of those nuts and bolts as I found places on the car that needed them. One afternoon I was driving on Michigan Ave in Dearborn, when one of the mufflers came loose. Checked the glove box stock & found 2 large self-tappers that fastened the muffler bracket to the hanger. Fixed it right in the Ace Hardware parking lot just a couple of miles from Ford World Headquarters.
Years later, I bought rebuild kits for the front disc brake calipers. The right side fit fine, but the left side wouldn’t allow the pistons to fit far enough into the bores. Turned out my car was a very late 1965 1/2 build and there had been a change to the calipers for 1966 model year. My car got a 1965 caliper on the right and a 1966 caliper on the left side! By the time I ran across this anomaly I had been working for Ford long enough to not be surprised by of anything in the automotive world.
Absolutely awesome comment! Thank you!
Great story! Thnx
Glad to see this pace car still drivable. The Mustang is an Iconic car. Like many car guys I bought one when I was 26. It was my first new car. It was a base model LX 5.0 5-speed no air stripped out car. I bought it that way to be light and fast. I took second place at the Muscle car magazines Nationals drag racing it in 1988. It was my daily driver then my toy. I had it for 14 years until I was 40. Not having air, modified with Nitrous, race gears and other go fast stuff it wasn't too practical for when we were expecting a child. Like many adult family men I sold it and bought a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix at least it was a GTP with the supercharger....Will get another Mustang and modify it to have fun again...
I bet the other guys working at that dealership were careful around that Leno kid for fear of getting a phone call. 🤣🤣
Classic
Hahaha absolutely!!😂
My pop drove our 1956 Buick past a Ford dealership each day to and from work. Once they put a Mustang in the showroom window he didn't pass by too many times until he traded it in on a 64 1/2. We drove it from Chicago to California that summer.
Was Jay sick? Looks like he has lost weight.
@@charleshaggard4341he’s older
@@charleshaggard4341his wife has Alzheimer’s and my guess is he’s caring for her himself at the moment. It takes a lot out of a person.
He's lost a lot of weight since the burn accident & you lose weight when you get older. He's in his seventies!!
@@jeffbridgman7973 it’s drastic tho he s dying 😭
Didn't realize, or believe, it was the ACTUAL Pace Car, until they raised the hood, bonnet for you Brit's. With all that bracing, and the Thunderbird Gold air filter cover, and the Orange Koni shocks and then when Jay turned the key, there was no doubt about it. Preserving automotive history is very important, and specific one off pieces, like this Mustang are a perfect example of what should be saved. Thank You Bill and Jay.
Don't encourage them with that silly "bonnet" thing. If they called a soft-top a bonnet, that would make more sense.
Well what about calling the trunk the "boot" and calling a truck a "Lorry"? i don't know, it's like the English have a different word for everything. I was just trying to be humorous. Guess it didn't work.
A Bonnet is what these chicks wear on their heads
Bonnets were made for covering heads... Car type too .@@DallasG83
@@DallasG83 That's the world we live in so might as well get used to it. I've been hearing those British terms so long that my brain immediately translates and I don't give them a second thought.
Thanks for bringing Bill on the show Jay!
And a great car with a great history of course! 🏁
What a WONDERFUL TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE with two LEGENDS!°
America loves Jay....what a legend his is.
Best thing Ford did was get Jay his job back. While he likes all brands and has them, of the vintage US cars, you can tell his heart belongs to Ford.
Probably one of Jay's best interviews. I've loved the Mustang since they came out when I was a kid ❤
Thanks to both Jay and Bill Ford Jr. for bringing this car out for an episode. What a treat!
I am a hardcore Corvette / Chevy guy, but this particular car is one of my favorite Fords of all time. To the point I've research it extensively for a scale model I am building. I am a big Indy fan. From what I have researched, this car was not Wimbledon white. Holman Moody re-sprayed it a slightly brighter white (apparently a fleet color) so it would show brighter on TV and newspaper. Not sure how accurate that statement is.
This was a really enjoyable episode. A true historically significant car.
By the way, with all due respect you said no other sports car has lasted this long. I'll let it slip but let me point you to the Corvette 🤣
More than a Corvette guy, I'm a car guy. Thank you Jay!
the porsche 911 also started around 64.. 😄
but yes, corvette from 1953 is still one of the earliest and still alive today
I used to have a big 1/12 Diecast car of this exact pace car Mustang in the video.
Vette has always been a sports car. Moostang has always been a sports coupe.
The Ford family are such genuine down to earth people . Thanks for all they have done for Detroit and America over the last 100+ years. Really great to see Jay and Bill just talk like a couple of buds on a casual cruise . Greenfield Village has the awesome Henry Ford museum an tribute to all Americans and what our inventive, industrial , and quality work has achieved. Yes it has competitors cars of significance there too. Mustang is the last one standing in our automotive sports/muscle car continuous production. Legendary Icon That Pace car has such a great story behind it.
This was a great segment! I love how passionate Bill Ford is about the cars and his companies history ..
This has been an excellent episode. Classic. 😎
Being a Mustang fan and owner, this video is off the chart!
Jay got dressed up for this one; very smart looking; interesting that Bill Ford is the great grandson of the founder of Firestone as well as the founder of Ford; two greats of the motor vehicle industry.
I was waiting to hear what the upgraded tiresv& brakes consisted of… those were the dark ages for that aspect of automotive engineering…
I didn’t even notice!
Bill Ford, what a good guy. Uneffected Everyman. Gotta love a guy that loves his products. Tx Jay, great interview.
I've been fortunate enough to meet Jay Leno twice. Both times he was a true gentleman. The second time my son was with me. My son was 13 years old at the time. He took a minute to actually have a short conversation with my son. It actually hurts to see Jay getting older and a little frail.
Yeah, I noticed that this year. Jarring. jw
Met him once on stage after one of his shows. Tried to get a committment from him to see his car collection. He was speechless. Dead silence for ten seconds as hs looked at his watch. Then I reframed the question. Again, he was speechless. He wanted to say yes, but did not know how to. Finally, I let him off the hook.
Thought, maybe it would get back to me as my brother was friends with his producer. I was that close.
@@thyslop1737 I too would love to see his car collection. But both times that I met him, it never occurred to me to ask him such a request. I was just happy to talk with him.
Two great guys are just hanging out and swapping stories. This is truly a fun watch!
Thanks👆
What an icon and legend of automotive history. Keep the the first Mustang generation alive and restore it as original as possible.
Yes, we need to keep these legends in our memories!
Great video. It includes all my iconic stories. I got a 1990 Ford Mustang with Fords version of high speed pursuit for law enforcement. 5.0 HO. Ended up handing it down to my nephew to restore. AJ Foyt lived shortly up the road between Waller and Hempstead. Finally any man who carries the Ford name on through the generations. Henry was an astounding individual with a true passion.
I was 7 years old when my parents (actually Dad) took receivership of a 65 mustang blue exterior/white interior 289 w/ a four speed. We drove 4 hours to a San Antonio ford dealership to pick it up. Dad traded his 49 ford pick-up with an Old's V/8 for it. He drag raced that car for several years and later the car was made street-able for me and all of my brothers and sisters to drive while in high school. It had evolved through several variations over the 15 years we owned it. The final version we drove had a 302 w/ a solid tappet cam (Ford Lemans cam) 4 barrel, HP heads, 4 speed, 9" ford rearend and Torino front disk brakes. It was candy apple red with a black interior. Man, it was fast. Back in the 70's it commanded a lot of respect from my Chevy and Mopar friends while in HS.
hope you can track it down and own it again.
I love this! I was 15 years old when the 64 1/2 Mustang came out. My father worked at the Ford Rotunda building, and then Ford''s World Headquarters in Public Relations. I worked at FoMoCo in Manufacturing from 1973 - 2007. I have so many great memories from my years at Ford. I delivered pizzas in my 1965 Ford Mustang at Eastern Michigan University while attending college there. I worked on the S197 Mustang program released for production in 2005 at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant. I have met Mr. Ford on several occasions during lunch breaks at Fairlane Mall in Dearborn. He was always such a gentleman, and so enthusiastic about his company! I always thought the commercials should say "Bill Ford Tough!"
I love the early 60s mustangs. Every time i see one its like seeing it for the first time, every time.
What an icon and celebrity of automotive history. On 9:05 I absolutely agree. Keep the legend alive and as original as possible.
Love the story about the famous bakery in Detroit that had a sign in the window that said " Our hotcakes are selling like Mustangs"
That's a great one, hilarious!!!
I was three years old when I saw my first Mustang at the World’s Fair in New York. My parents brought us to the World’s Fair four times when it was there that year. I’ll never forget it. What a treat!
A 65 Mustang was my 1st car. My Dad got it when I was 14 y/o. I loved that car. Jay, I never miss a video you do.
You can tell Bill is genuine and actually cares and it is not just a paycheck for him
Thanks👆
It must be amazing being friends or at least in Jays good graces. Guy is funny, intelligent and willing to share with anyone. We should all be so lucky ❤️
Nobody showcases cars in depth and as entertainingly as Jay Leno. So cool.
Had to click on this the moment I saw it and given it's the 60th year of the Mustang, it is fitting to see one of the very first cars off the line still going strong after all these years.
This was definitely the best episode of this show that has been put out in a long while now. Excellent, non-repetitive conversation from both parties that was perfectly logical and easy to follow, at least one, if not two, completely new and interesting stories from Jay's past that were genuinely relevant to the conversation, and an excellent, interesting, and amazing sounding car to show off in the background to top it all off. Very refreshing to have one of these types of episodes again that just hits every mark of good entertainment perfectly again. These types of episodes used to be more common, but I get that there's only so many instances available in a given area/to a given person where everything just jives together perfectly like this.
I grew up in Indy and remember seeing this car on the track. This was back in the day when the race was a class event. The 60s were the greatest time for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
As a Ford employee in Detroit, my dad owned one of the very first regular production Mustangs. White coupe with blue interior. 260 2v automatic. We would come out of a store and there would 10-15 people standing around the car.
Whenever we drove it people would point and speed up to drive alongside it. The closest I've ever been to being a celebrity!!
Now there is a story I didn't know!! I knew Jay got fired from Wilmington Ford, but didn't know he wrote letters to the execs at Ford asking if they could help him get his job back. Hilarious!! I never purchased anything from Wilmington Ford, but my brother did. LOL A 1978 Mercury Zephyr Z7 2 door coupe with 3 on the floor. I learned to drive a stick in that car. HAHAHA. He bought it in 1980. Nice job Jay! I never would have thought of that!!
I love this. Mustang is one of my favorite cars of all time. We both have the same April 17th birthday. I was brought home from the hospital in my mom's black hatchback Fox body.
Now this is a history lesson I could listen to all day.
Glad to see Bill Ford got a hold of this Mustang. Back in the Ford family.
What a great video, thank you Jay and thank you Bill Ford for bringing this car to light! I can still remember a few days before April 17th, 1964, the official release date, when the local Ford dealer had masked all the showroom windows in anticipation of the debut of the Mustang, it was very exciting, there was nothing like it on the road. I have owned many Mustangs since then and have absolutely loved every one of them. Long live the Ford Mustang!
Thank you Jay !!!
I am old enough to have been watching this car lead the pack at Indy in 1964, two months before my twelfth birthday. Thanks Jay and Bill for this memory! I remember those hilarious radio ads, talking about the "Big Six Engine!" I was reading everything I could get about motors, especially articles about engine building by Smokey Yunick, and they were touting a six as being "big." LOL!
Jay having access to Burbank airport cracks me up. I was a corporate pilot and flew there many times always hoping to see Jay drive a car. It never happened but a guy can dream.
I'm curious why they decided to drive it at the airport instead of taking it for a spin on the streets, driving to La Tuna Canyon and back. Could it be to test its speed, or is it not street legal, or is it an insurance requirement?
I was wondering where this was. Thanks for the info.
@@noiceferatu7937 probably not street legal. it was a "pace/race" car.
This is the coolest and most historically significant Mustang that I never knew existed until now. It’s gotta be worth a fortune. One of the best JLG videos in quite some time. Thanks Jay.
I love the fact it has a detuned GT-40 engine in it. You could definitely hear that too.
It's always special to have Automotive Royalty present here at Jay Lenos Garage. He's a wealth of knowledge and you will always hear fantastic stories and interesting facts... Thank you for this. I'm a Mustang man for life...
In 1964 we lived in SoCal, San Diego area. I remember the saturation of the TV adds with the wild horses, and the subsequent theme song She’s all neat, with bucket seats, M-M-Mustang. We visited the Ford dealer. They had one on the showroom floor. Don’t touch the display car. No test drives. Two month waiting list. Dad said no.
My older brother bought a ‘66 Mustang. It had the base 289 V-8, three speed manual transmission. He drove the wheels off of that car. It was all so long ago.
Great episode. Convo flowed naturally and always entertaining. I am a geek for the little history nuggets Jay throws in. 😅
Love you guys! That was REALLY Fun......
My dad and my moms 3 brothers were all FORD guys in the 50s and 60s. In 1966 my dad won a new 66 Mustang in a contest. I was 10 years old at the time. That stuck with me and have always driven Mustangs
I'll be expecting your massage
You know it’s a special event when Leno ducks his jeans for slacks!
and use the air strip for rolling shots!
This is one of the most incredible episodes you've done yet. Much respect, Jay!
I could Jay was enjoying himself. To drive not only à Mustang, but the 1st year model that was the pase car of the biggest race in automobile racing! WOW! For me, I would love to be in that car mining my two loves Fords and Aviation! Speeding around Burbank Airport had to be a hoot! Good for you Jay! Keep on Rollin' man. Love ya Jay!😊
I enjoyed this video to the fullest. Two of my favorite Ford car owners beside me. Great job. Meet Mr. Bill Ford at the Ford Shareholder meeting 15 years ago at the Dupont Hotel. He autograph my Ford racing jacket.
Still a good looking car, after all these years. A first generation Mustang is timeless.
Wow, talk about 3 degrees of separation between these two. All the stories and intertwining people from years past. Super cool episode of Jay Leno's Garage. I really enjoyed this!
Ford family is awesome!!!
Why I’m a ford guy!!
Family business!! Still to this day!
Wow that was a great story
I've had a 1967 fastback for 52 years today. Thanks Jay.
I have 4 Mustangs I just love this show it was awesome thanks to Bill and J
Just to guy's talking about car from the #1 that everyone could buy and all the way to today. One off the best episode I ever see so far...
I was born early 1965 & remember The Mustang was at the NYC World Fair entrance; from my parents' photos they took as I was a baby at the time! I own a White 2016 Mustang GT W/ 13K miles & love it because it was born same time as me! This was an EPIC episode W/ Bill & jay dropping gold bars 🏁💯💥 - Ford Performance #1
If you thought the entrance was good, you'd have loved the Ford pavilion.
Bill Ford is a real stand up guy! Thanks for bringing this car!
Growing up in Detroit in the 50's and 60's, the first car I was really gobsmacked over was the Ford Mustang with the 289 Hi-Po engine. A kid on the East side had one in racing green with white stripes and Cragar style wheels. I still covet that car.
I grew up on the East side of Detroit. I owned a dark grey hardtop 66 Mustang 289 HiPo. I met that guy at a gas station in Grosse Pointe Woods. Do you remember the Burgandy Fastback 289 HiPo with Cragar wheels cruising 8 mile road at the same time? That guy worked at Roy O'Brien Ford. He has a RUclips channel today You are right, you will never forget the 289 solid lifter cruising down a boulevard sound. Great Times!!
@@kevinwrynn2659 No,. I don't recall a burgundy Hi-Po, that was many years ago.
What a great thing to see a Ford show up and share his experiences with the cars. Truly enjoyed that.
Jay. You are Royalty too. 🏁🇺🇸
Anyone that knows me, knows I am no fan of Fords. Especially Mustangs. But, this was a special show. Love anything Jay does and the significance of Ford and the Mustang are not lost on me. There have been a few Fords that I have lusted over. 63 Galaxie/427. 67 Fairlane GTA. ANY GT40 and a 32 hiboy. I did have a smile on my face watching this whole episode.
It's amazing how far the engineering and efficiency of engines have advanced over the years. I was born in 1971 and when I was a kid and someone just got a muscle car from the 1960s, they'd be asked, "nice! What does it have in it? Small block? Big block, 427?" and if the answer was, "no, just a six cylinder," and then people would try to hide their disappointment and still be enthusiastic, "wow the interior is in beautiful shape!"
Now, when someone gets a modern muscle car and when they say they have a six cylinder, the response is usually something like, "a six? Nice! What's it got, 350-400 hp?" There are a lot of great _four_ cylinders - the Mustang 4 cyl puts out over 300 hp and are fun to drive. Arguably more fun than bigger, more powerful engines. You can use all the power in them in real world situations.
Will never sound like a small block though
Or have the reliability of a V8.
@@robertfandel9442 I definitely agree with you. You can't replace the sound that comes with 8, 10 and 12 cylinder engines. Although, some manufacturers try, with artificial engine sounds. I can see it used in EVs, so people can safely hear a car approaching, because EVs by definition, are quiet. When they do it to, "enhance" the sound of an ICE, it seems silly to me. Why design a car with a quiet or disappointing (for lack of a better word) exhaust note, then put speakers and a system to _play_ a deeper, more aggressive one? Lol
In 1964 I was ten years old and already a confirmed "gearhead". I remember my group of pals having a dispute over which was better, the year old Stingray or the new Mustang. We had a vote that ended in a dead heat, then loudly proclaimed the virtue of our choice of American sports car. I can't recall which I voted for, but in reality was crazy about both of them. My oldest son has a 2013 Mustang GT that he bought new and has nicely modified. The exhaust note on that car will make the hair on your neck stand on end!
What a great car to have on this channel. There's no one more connected in the car world--top to bottom--than Jay Leno.
See you at Indy!
Late 1964 a friend of mine in high school was lucky enough to get a mustang, 289 3 speed. His dad owned a feed mill in Camden, oh. in shop class we welded cutouts under it sounded fantastic. Now approx 6 7 miles south of town was Collinsville ,oh. We would open the cut outs and fly down the country roads, and there you could buy a gallon of draft beer for $1.25, great days.
The second 'new' car my mother bought was a 65, white, black interior, 4speed, V8, hardtop and at 12 years of age, my older brother made me drive!