Sam Krahn 
If you’re looking for the coolest first-gen Mustang on sale today, online auction site Bring a Trailer definitely has it. This 1965 Ford Mustang is a fantastic restomod, and it was all built for actor and racing driver Patrick Dempsey. Can it get any cooler? We don’t think so.
The build started life as a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback, but little is shared with the original at this point. Under the hood sits a 4.6 liter supercharged “Terminator” V8 out of the 2004 Mustang SVT Cobra. Here, it produces 420 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, sent through a tried-and-true Tremec T-56 six-speed manual.
The powertrain is just the tip of the iceberg for this build, which was built by Panoz Auto Development and JRD for Dempsey himself. Supposedly, it took 3,900 hours over 2.5 years to complete, costing around $300,000 when it was completed in 2008. Equus Automotive Inc bought the car from Dempsey about three years ago, where additional modifications were made.
The exterior features many modifications that modernize the design, but keep the classic beauty of the original Mustang. In other words, it’s subtly aggressive. The black car gets new bodywork with flared wheel arches, HID headlights and LED taillights, lowered ride height from coiler suspension. The 17″ Torq Thrust–style wheels look great tucked in the wheel arches.
The Mustang should corner well with numerous handling mods, too. The wider wheel arches aren’t just for show, as they allow for a S197 Mustang rear axle. There are also several chassis reinforcements to increase rigidity. Braking is provided by upgraded power discs.
Both Panoz and Equus thoroughly modernized the interior as well. There are new black leather bucket seats, power windows, air-conditioning, power door locks, a modern steering wheel, and retro-looking head unit with bluetooth. And peep that unicorn silhouette on the horn.
The auction listing states the vehicle was designed to be a daily driver before an all-out performance car, and the build clearly reflects that. The auction on this 1956 Ford Mustang ends on Wednesday, June 10 at 2:50 p.m., and the current bid is at $80,000. That’s a lot of money, but then again, you’d be getting a lot of car. Plus, you can say you own a vehicle built, owned and driven by Patrick Dempsey.
