16/09/2026
Gail Wise bought the first Ford Mustang sold in the United States; 60 years later, she still owns it
In the spring of 1964, 22-year-old Gail Wise was a third-grade teacher in Berkeley, Illinois, with no idea she was about to make history.
On April 15, 1964, Gail and her father walked into Johnson Ford on Cicero Avenue in Chicago looking for a convertible. The family was loyal Ford owners; her father had a ’57 Fairlane and a ’63 Thunderbird, so Gail knew what she wanted. But there were no convertibles on the showroom floor.
Sensing her disappointment, the salesman led her to the back and pulled a tarp off something special: a “Skylight Blue” Ford Mustang convertible. It wasn’t supposed to be sold until the official unveiling at the New York World’s Fair two days later. No test drives allowed. But Gail didn’t need one. She knew instantly it was hers.
The price? $3,447.50. On her $5,000 annual salary, it was steep, but with her father’s help, she bought it, becoming the very first person in the U.S. to own a Ford Mustang.
As she drove out of the lot, heads turned. People waved. The next day, when she drove to school, seventh and eighth graders swarmed the car, amazed at the sight. For the next 15 years, the Mustang was her pride and joy. She and her husband, Tom Wise, married in 1966 and raised four kids, with the Mustang always part of family life from McDonald’s runs to weekend joyrides.
But Chicago winters took their toll. Rust crept in, the engine failed, and by the late ’70s, Tom pushed the Mustang into the garage, promising to fix it “next week.” That week stretched into 27 years. Gail suggested scrapping it, but Tom insisted it would be his retirement project.
In 2005, at age 60, Tom finally began restoring it. He stripped it to nearly nothing, leaving just four wheels and a steering wheel, before handing it to specialists for bodywork and engine repair. A year and $35,000 later, the Mustang was reborn, complete with a custom horn that whinnied like a horse.
Research soon revealed the car’s incredible legacy: it was the very first Mustang ever sold in the U.S. Ford took notice, inviting Gail and Tom to special events,
