One More Thing
World’s Fair 1965 Mustang Added to National Historic Vehicle Register
The Hagerty Drivers Foundation inducted a 1965 Ford Mustang convertible as the 38th vehicle added to the National Historic Vehicle Register (NHVR). The July announcement coincided with the opening of Ford Motor Company’s “Driving America Forward” exhibit at Union Station in Washington, D.C., where the car was displayed this summer.
The vehicle, a Wimbledon White convertible, is one of 23 Mustangs that carried visitors through the Ford Pavilion’s legendary Magic Skyway attraction at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.
Fitted with special undercarriage rigging and pulled along a cable track, the Mustang traveled an estimated 5,000 miles over six months, transporting approximately 40,000 passengers through a Disney-designed journey from prehistoric times into the space age—all without burning a drop of fuel. It is one of only a handful of Magic Skyway Mustangs known to survive, and among the finest restored examples.
“The 1965 Mustang display at the World’s Fair wasn’t just a car launch—in many ways it was the launch of an entire generation,” says McKeel Hagerty, chairman of Hagerty and the president of the board of directors of the Hagerty Drivers Foundation. “This particular car carried tens of thousands of enthusiasts into the future at the most celebrated exhibition of its era. Its story belongs to all Americans, and there is no better moment to make that official than America’s 250th birthday.”
A 1965 Ford Mustang convertible from the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair is the 38th vehicle added to the National Historic Vehicle Register. (Photos courtesy Hagerty Drivers Foundation)
The 1965 Ford Mustang, VIN 5F08T383386, is owned by Sam Pack of Texas and was treated to a careful restoration in 2015 that preserved its original components, including its factory 200-ci inline-six engine and 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. The Hagerty Drivers Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving automotive culture and history, was working on completing the full NHVR documentation package, including laser scanning, professional photography and a written historic report in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Historic American Engineering Record (HAER).
The documentation will be permanently archived in the Library of Congress as HAER No. TX-3410 and is underwritten by Ford Motor Company.
“The Mustang is one of America’s most beloved automobiles, and this car represents its very birth—unveiled not in a showroom, but on the grandest stage imaginable, carrying tens of thousands of people through a vision of the future at the New York World’s Fair,” says Casey Maxon, director of heritage, Hagerty Drivers Foundation. “It was an immediate, undeniable hit. The public didn’t just notice the Mustang; they fell in love with it on the spot. As we mark 250 years of American history, it’s worth remembering that for nearly half of that history, the automobile has been woven into the fabric of this country’s identity. What better way to honor that legacy than with this Mustang convertible, one of the most iconic enthusiast cars ever produced.”
The NHVR documents and records vehicles of significant importance in American history and culture. Documentation of each vehicle is a partnership between the Hagerty Drivers Foundation and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Historic American Engineering Record and is permanently archived in the Library of Congress.
