The '64 Mustang was Edsel Ford II's first car

Images of new cars sitting in a snowy driveway wrapped in a big red bow have long been a staple of automotive advertising this time of year. But unlike those marketing scenarios, this is the true story of a 16-year old boy who got a very special Ford Mustang for Christmas in 1964.

One of the factors that made Mustang so appealing was the ability for customers to personalise the car to their own tastes. With three available bodystyles, four engines, 17 colours and myriad other options, Mustang was widely promoted as "The car designed to be designed by you".

Other exterior details setting this Mustang apart were a functional hood scoop, chrome trim on the three gills in the headlamp buckets, and fender-mounted rearview mirrors similar to Mustangs sold in Europe at that time.

There was another, more subtle detail most people probably wouldn't notice. The rear fuel filler cap, which was typically adorned with the galloping pony logo, featured the initials "EBF II," for Edsel B. Ford II, great grandson of company founder Henry Ford. Then Ford Motor Company CEO and President Henry Ford II had this Mustang prepared as a gift for his son's 16^th birthday, which fell on December 27, 1964.

"The rumble of the high-performance V8 was always intoxicating," said Ford. "I only drove it for a few minutes that first day because there was snow on the ground, but as soon as the roads were cleared, I drove it almost every day."

Despite being a one-of-a-kind car, that Mustang became Edsel Ford's daily driver as he finished high school and went off to college. Sadly, the car was destroyed in an accident four years after Ford got it for Christmas when a friend borrowed it. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

In the 49 years since getting his first Mustang, Edsel Ford has owned a few others, along with other Ford cars that had more space for his wife and four sons. After graduating from college, he joined the Ford marketing department, eventually working on campaigns for Mustang and many other Ford vehicles.

"That Mustang was my first car and one of my favorites," he said. "Seeing the photos that were discovered in the Ford archives brought back many fond memories."