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I can remember it distinctly, on or about the age of 14, when I started thinking what kind of car I wanted to own on my 16th birthday. I started buying Hot Rod magazine and looking through various car trader magazines, learning about Chevy’s, Ford’s and Mopar’s and each model they offered. I had no allegiance to any manufacturer at that time so it was really about what struck me visually more than any facts or figures. And one day, there it was, the 1965 Mustang Fastback. There was just something about that car that made it feel like they designed it just for me! I had an obsession - and it was the 1965 Mustang Fastback (or the 66 for that matter).

I didn’t really understand much about them; for example, I remember calling an ad in the paper for a 1965 and asking if it was a “Shelby” Fastback - the owner was kind enough to educate me on the fact that all fastbacks were not Shelby’s - indeed. I knew I had to own a fastback and just needed to get a job at the local grocery store and convince my parents to co-sign a loan - something they were kind enough to do. So, after looking at a “k” code Fastback that you could see the road through the floorboards, I finally found my 65 Fastback right here in Cedar Rapids. The paint was gray (non-original) the tires were big, the motor was built (huge cam and single plane intake) and the exhaust was loud. And, of course, it was a 4 speed. It was perfect! The car cost $1,800 and my loan payment was around $40 a month.

That was my car through high school and of course I sold it and regret it to this day. But I would buy more in later years and fix them up and sell them and regret it again. However, the point I really want to make is that even to this day, when I see a Fastback, there is just something about that car that speaks to me the same way it did when I was 14 dreaming about owning my first car. I still appreciate Camaro’s, Nova’s, GTO’s, and Cuda’s, etc., but the 1965 Fastback will always be special to me and remind me of how excited I was the first time I ever laid eyes on one.