The Forgotten Pickup Based on a Legend – The Story of the Unique 1960s Ford Mustero

Have you ever heard of a Ford Mustang pickup? Officially, Ford never released one, but in the mid-1960s, a fascinating hybrid was born—the Ford Mustero. This wasn’t a factory experiment but a legitimate project approved by Ford's headquarters, and today, only a handful of people remember it.

The story began at West Coast Customs, a tuning shop in Beverly Hills. Commissioned by a local Ford dealership and approved by Ford in Dearborn, the shop took a 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and transformed it into something truly unique.

The name “Mustero” was a clever combination of “Mustang” and “Ranchero,” a nod to Ford's iconic pickup. The modification was drastic: the roof pillars were moved forward, shrinking the cabin, while the rear end was turned into a pickup bed. The roofline of the original Mustang was preserved, giving the car an unusual yet cohesive appearance.

According to various sources, between 40 and 50 Mustero vehicles were created. Most of them were shipped overseas, with only about a dozen remaining in the United States. The truck bed was made from fiberglass or steel panels with fiberglass inner lining. Technically, the Mustero remained a regular Mustang, equipped with either a 3.3-liter inline-six engine or a 4.7-liter V8 producing around 200 horsepower.

Why was there no continuation?

Despite its exclusivity and Ford's approval, the Mustero faced a commercial failure. The reasons were clear. The modification added an eye-watering $6,500 to the cost of the base Mustang, which brought the total price close to that of the legendary Shelby GT350—an unreasonable price at the time.

Buyers could opt for a more powerful and practical Ford Fairlane Ranchero or its main competitor, the Chevrolet El Camino, which had returned to the market with a refreshed design. Compared to these options, the Mustero lacked practicality, with its only real selling point being its unique look. Moreover, demand for the base Mustang fastback wasn’t particularly high at that point. As a result, the unique pickup prototype failed to find its niche and was forgotten for decades.

Today, the Ford Mustero stands as an extremely rare artifact in automotive history. No one knows how many of the original models still exist, but in 2021, one of the first Mustero vehicles—considered the pioneer of the series—was put up for auction. Despite its exclusivity, these cars have not yet become sought-after collector's items, unlike some other once-failed muscle cars.

Their value lies in their unique story and bold engineering. Today, rumors of a possible pickup based on the modern Mustang occasionally resurface, but it’s unlikely Ford will take such a step. The Mustero will remain a brief yet audacious attempt to merge the legendary “pony car” with a pickup bed—a curious curiosity worth remembering.