A parking lot is a parking lot—unless it’s the Summit Racing parking lot. On any given day or time, the lot outside a Summit Racing store can turn into an impromptu mini car show, depending on who’s stopped by the store. On Wednesday, we often share a notable parking lot find—another benefit of being powered by Summit Racing Equipment.

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With some help from the Plymouth Barracuda introduced a few weeks prior, Ford’s new Mustang had launched the all-new ponycar segment in 1965 (or 1964-1/2, if you want to be precise). The Mustang set the benchmark for style, performance, and options in the field, and quickly established itself as the horse to beat.

How popular was it? In its first 18 months of production, Ford cranked out a million Mustangs, cementing it as a runaway hit for the FoMoCo.

But by 1967, the cat…errr horse….was out of the bag.

Mopar had radically redesigned its Barracuda to entice would-be Mustang customers and General Motors had just introduced its own ponycars, the Camaro/Firebird twins. Even AMC was getting into the game, with the Javelin set to launch in 1968.

To counter this new competition, the Mustang got its first significant styling updates, featuring a new concave rear taillight panel and larger grille. The interior was refreshed as well, boasting improved passenger amenities (perhaps foreshadowing the Mustang’s transformation into a luxury tourer in the early 1970s).

Gearheads will also note that 1967 was the first year you could get a Ford FE-series big block in your Mustang, the 390 c.i.d. variant rated at 320 horsepower. The high-performance 289 was cranking out a potent 271 hp as well.

Some regard the 1967 as the high-water mark for first-gen Mustang styling, and this notchback that rolled into Summit Racing’s Tallmadge, Ohio retail store does a lot to support that opinion.

It’s sporting a slick custom paint job and a set of genuine Cragar S/S wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson rubber. The chrome and paint are excellent and the body is laser-straight.

Was the 1967 the best of the first-gen Mustangs? Let us know what you think.

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1967-Ford-Mustang-grille
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Author: Paul Sakalas

Paul is the editor of OnAllCylinders. When he's not writing, you'll probably find him fixing oil leaks in a Jeep CJ-5 or roof leaks in an old Corvette ragtop. Thanks to a penchant for vintage Honda motorcycles, he spends the rest of his time fiddling with carburetors and cleaning chain lube off his left pant leg.