An original Custom Mustang from the first 1968 series known as "The Sweet 16".
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Most of the colors available for the 1968 Custom Mustang
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Designer Harry Bradley based the Custom Mustang on the 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback and was one of the "Sweet 16" that came out this first year of Hot Wheels. Early cars made in the U.S. had a steering wheel as part of the interior, a gas cap, clear "glass", painted rear tail light panel and front grill, and exhaust pipes out the sides. Later castings (hard to find) had a louvered rear window and glass was tinted blue. Interiors were either white or brown. The Hong Kong versions had 4 open holes in the base, detailed exhaust, a flat dashboard with the steering wheel not attached to it, blue glass, and early versions had an open scoop in the hood which are very rare. Interiors were red, brown originally, and then also white or black. Because of the open hood scoops, engine compartments usually got some overspray in them and factory workers had to hand paint over the engines with silver paint. This slowed the process down so they quickly stopped using open hood scoops, making these castings rare. All early Hot Wheels came with black tires that had a red line around them, therefore they are known as "redlines".
There were 16 different colors available on the American made Custom Mustangs in 1968: spectraflame blue, spectraflame antifreeze, spectraflame gold, spectraflame aqua, spectraflame lime, spectraflame green, spectraflame purple, spectraflame red, spectraflame light blue, spectraflame ice blue, spectraflame brown, spectraflame pink, spectraflame rose, spectraflame olive, spectraflame orange, and spectraflame watermelon.
Hong Kong castings added spectraflame copper and the same U.S. colors except antifreeze, lime, light blue, ice blue, brown, rose, or watermelon were not used.
There were 16 different colors available on the American made Custom Mustangs in 1968: spectraflame blue, spectraflame antifreeze, spectraflame gold, spectraflame aqua, spectraflame lime, spectraflame green, spectraflame purple, spectraflame red, spectraflame light blue, spectraflame ice blue, spectraflame brown, spectraflame pink, spectraflame rose, spectraflame olive, spectraflame orange, and spectraflame watermelon.
Hong Kong castings added spectraflame copper and the same U.S. colors except antifreeze, lime, light blue, ice blue, brown, rose, or watermelon were not used.
1968
My "Sweet 16" Custom Mustang was most likely originally Spectraflame Gold. Brown interior. Hinged hood with the common closed scoops, four holes in the chassis make it a Hong Kong casting. Redline tires.
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The chassis holes make it a Hong Kong casting not a U.S. casting.
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My Spectraflame Red Custom Mustang with missing hood. If I ever find a hood, I'll replace it. :)
