From the estate of the late Roy Jackson
1967 Ford Mustang Hardtop Coupé

• Iconic American 'Pony Car'
• Retro-fitted with a 5.0-litre V8 engine
• Present ownership since 2018

Ford created a new class of car almost overnight with the introduction of the Mustang sports coupé part way through the 1964 season, catching the rest of the US auto industry off guard. Brainchild of Lee Iacocca - subsequent saviour of the Chrysler Corporation – the Mustang is one of the most remarkable automotive success stories of modern times and arguably the pinnacle of his long career with Ford. Aimed at the affluent young, for whom a car was as much a lifestyle statement as means of transport, the Mustang succeeded brilliantly, achieving sales in excess of a quarter million by the end of '64. This remarkable debut was followed by a staggering 524,791 sales in 1965, earning Ford a fortune.

The secret of the Mustang's success was a broad appeal that extended beyond the target market thanks to a great value-for-money package combining sporty looks, decent economy and brisk performance. Mustangs could be ordered in specifications ranging from six-cylinder 'economy' to V8-powered luxury, while customers could choose from an extensive range of factory options, with the result that seldom are two Mustangs identical. The Mustang was enlarged and restyled for 1969 and again for 1971, but of all the many versions since 1964, it is the early cars that are by far the most desirable.

A recent Marti report confirms that it was produced on the 1st June 1967 through Archie Cochrane Motors, Billings. Montana. Originally a 200-1V 6-cylinder engine car, it was ordered in the desirable colour combination of Frost Turquoise with Aqua Vinyl bucket seats. The car appears to have arrived in the UK in 2006, the file contains a letter from Roger Chinery of the Mustang Owners Club of Great Britain dated 13.03.2006. A letter from HMRC in 2006 to the previous keeper reveals that the car was registered 'YRF 283' and subsequently re-registered as 'PGV 107E'. The vendor has informed us that it is not known when the current 5.0-litre V8 was installed.

The late Mr Jackson purchased the Mustang in June 2018 and embarked on a restoration together with his son-in-law Seb Morgan. Photographs on file confirm that by September 2018 the engine had been removed and partially stripped. There are bills for parts on file totalling £4,000. The Mustang presents in white with a well-presented Aqua interior featuring its dark green seat inserts. Offered from a period of storage since the restoration's completion; an inspection is recommended before road use. Accompanying paperwork includes assorted correspondence, numerous bills, a V5C document, and various old MoTs , and a Marti report.

Roy Jackson was born in the middle of WW2 in the North West of England near Lancaster. He spent his boyhood fishing the local rivers and lakes and shooting. His father was also a car enthusiast and Roy's formative years were spent watching him race his Triumph and Lagonda in local races such as the Barbon Hill-Climb. He was always involved in his dad's motoring escapades, learning to drive in cars considered classics today on the driveway of the family home. Roy's first car restoral was a 1932 Alvis Firefly which he worked on in his father's building yard when he was a teenager. This project ignited in him an ambition to become a fully-fledged mechanic. However, his father had other ideas and wanted him to enter the family construction business, so Roy went and studied Civil Engineering. This was a profession he grew to love and he became managing director of the company at a young age, successfully running it until his retirement in 2013.

Since 2013 Roy had no wish to live the life of a regular retiree. Rather he saw this as the opportunity to resurrect the dreams of his youth and to start to restore classic cars as he had wanted to in his younger days. His home, a converted Cumbrian farm, was the perfect venue for his new career and these restorations became his life. Working together with his son-in-law Seb Morgan, what started as a dream quickly evolved. The workshop they built together became renowned locally and further afield. Roy and Seb rebuilt 26 classic cars and military vehicles over the 11 years they were working together, including the vehicles listed by Bonhams in this auction which are offered from his estate.