The 1966 Ford Mustang is the year I recommend most often to someone entering the first-generation Mustang market for the first time. The 1964.5 and 1965 cars have the more original design, but the 1966 incorporated improvements — a different instrument cluster layout, revised trim — that make it more liveable without losing any of the character.

The 1967 and 1968 models are larger and more refined but heavier. The 1969 and 1970 SportsRoof is the most dramatic of the era but more complex to restore.

For a first Mustang, the 1966 gives you a car that's well-supported by parts availability, beautiful in stock form, and simple enough that a beginning restorer can manage most of the work themselves.