The New York World's Fair was an international expo that showcased technology, art, and culture from 80 nations in an elaborate 646-acre fairground complex. Between 1964 and 1965, the event served more than 51 million visitors, many of whom left the event excited for the futuristic inventions and innovations they had seen. But one product that appeared at the World's Fair had an especially significant and lasting impact: the new Ford Mustang. Ford Motor Company partnered with Walt Disney to design a Magic Skyway attraction where fair attendees could ride in new Ford convertibles along an "automated turnpike of tomorrow."
Historical photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company, other photos courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
The Magic Skyway was described as "a voyage through time and space, from a dark and distant yesterday to a bright and promising tomorrow." Attendees boarded the moving conveyor belt and climbed into one of the Ford Mustang or Falcon convertibles with their family members. Each car passed through tunnels and a series of displays that began with animatronic dinosaurs and cavemen inventing the wheel and ended with futuristic cityscapes.
Riders disembarked into a room full of futuristic Ford concept cars, including the Allegro and Cougar (not to be confused with the Mercury Cougar), two design studies that influenced the Mustang.
Unsurprisingly, the combined allure of a ride built by Disney and new cars built by Ford drew big crowds and long lines. In a recent episode of Jay Leno's Garage, Leno reminisces about attending the exhibit as a young boy with his father. Leno's father — who wasn't a car enthusiast — was irritated by the wait, but young Jay was excited just to sit in the new Mustang. Back in 1964, it was a big deal!
Since the ride was based on a motorized track, the cars didn't need to move under their own power. This meant that each was modified with welded-on brackets, suspension tie-downs, and guide pins. Loose internal parts, such as heater knobs and gearshifts, were also removed to discourage theft.
Above: This white 1965 Mustang is one of the surviving World's Fair cars. It features a 200ci six-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, and power convertible top. After removal of the Disney-ride-specific modifications, it was restored using new old stock (NOS) and factory-correct replacement parts.
Fortunately, the Mustangs were light enough to retain their original engine and transmission under the hood. The heavier Falcons allegedly had their engines removed to meet weight limits of the Skyway.
According to Hagerty, a total of 23 Mustangs were used for the ride — twelve in 1964 and eleven in 1965. Each car carried as many as 40,000 passengers during the two-year exhibition. Only a handful of the Magic Skyway Mustangs are known to still exist today. In the aforementioned Jay Leno's Garage episode, Leno and Ford Motor Company archivist Ted Ryan take a closer look at one of these special cars, which has been fully restored:
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