Original 289: 1966 Ford Falcon Futura Sports Coupe
For enthusiasts, 1st Generation Mustangs have their good and bad points. From a positive perspective, if you have a good one that is carefully maintained, then the value will do nothing but increase over time. The bad point tends to be that if you are in the market for one, the same rule applies. That means that potential buyers either need to dig a little deeper to find the funds for the car of their dreams, or they need to look at viable alternatives. Perhaps that’s where cars like this 1966 Ford Falcon Futura Sports Coupe fit into the equation. It might not have quite the cachet of a Mustang, but it possesses all of its attributes for a fraction of the price. It is located in Bee Spring, Kentucky, and has recently been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $9,355, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
If you squint just a bit, you can see traces of the Mustang in the Futura Sports Coupe. It doesn’t have quite the exaggerated “long hood, short deck” appearance of the pony car, but there’s no mistaking the family likeness. This one is a clean car that is finished in Silver with a White top. The color has me puzzled because while the owner refers to it as Silver, it doesn’t appear to match anything that I can find on any 1966 Ford paint charts. The color may have been changed slightly in the photos by the prevailing light, so that’s something to keep in mind. The exterior presentation is impressive, with no apparent paint flaws, dings, dents, or rust. The panel gaps are tight, while the chrome and glass appear perfect. The original wheels have made way for a set of Magnum 500s, and these suit the age and style of the Futura. If the buyer doesn’t like these, locating the correct wheels and hubcaps would not be difficult or expensive.
When it was new, there were a couple of factors that buyers needed to consider when trying to choose between the Mustang and the Futura. The 1966 model year was the moment when sales peaked for the Mustang. Supply couldn’t meet demand, wait times were at their longest, and the sheer desirability of the Mustang meant that dealers could charge a healthy premium for each car. Looking for a discount on a new ’66 Mustang? That wasn’t going to happen. However, the Futura was a different story, which meant that some winning deals were available for canny buyers. The Futura might not have had the presence or prestige of the Mustang, but it generally cost its owner around 20% less to park in their driveway. There’s no mistaking the family heritage when you lift the hood of the Futura. Nestling in the engine bay is the same C-Code 289ci V8 that saw duty in the Mustang. It is backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission, while the original owner ordered the car with power steering. With 200hp under the right foot, the Futura could romp through the ¼ mile in 16.8 seconds. It wasn’t as fast as the Mustang when it was new, but it only loses out in this battle by a mere two-tenths of a second. The engine bay of this car presents superbly, and it doesn’t flatter to deceive. I have included a video clip at the bottom of this article that shows the vehicle running and driving. That little 289 sounds sweet, with no smoke or odd noises.
There’s a lot to like about this Futura’s interior and not much of which to be critical. There is some wear on the wheel rim, but that’s about the only fault. The upholstered surfaces are in impressive condition. The same is true of the carpet, dash, and pad. There are some extra gauges mounted under the dash, but those are the only additions. The original owner ordered the Coupe with bucket seats and a pushbutton AM radio, and these are still intact. Finding a Futura with buckets rather than a bench front seat is a bit of a treat. It does reduce the vehicle’s versatility slightly, but it will still seat five people in comfort.
If this were a 1966 Mustang Coupe in this sort of condition with this drivetrain combination, we would be discussing a car with a potential value of around $25,000, or possibly a little more. However, this is not a ’66 Mustang, but a 1966 Falcon Futura Sports Coupe. That means a lot in the market, and it means that I will be surprised if this car manages to struggle beyond $20,000. As I initially said, it doesn’t have the pose value of the Mustang, but it is considerably cheaper. Therefore, if you are searching for a classic on a budget, this could be the car for you.
Auctions Ending Soon
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now2 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now3 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now3 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now4 days$10,500
1974 Datsun 260ZBid Now6 days$200
Comments
Nice looking car,& the wheels make it look even better.
With as many Mustangs that are still around I would rather see myself coming and going in this car. I like the lines and the looks.
As good as it gets. Not many left and this one is a beauty.
Take this nice little package any day or a Mustang of the same vintage. Then again I chose my 67 Nova SS over a Camaro too
Who here never thought a Falcon would ever bring 5 digits, like I didn’t?
1st thing i would do is ck for a front sway bar – my boxy ’70 futura had none!(tho it was a 6 cyl) & made for quite lousy handing. lol
& install one if none.
Are the slide controls on the left for wipers? I expected to see a knob.
Could you get a console & auto floor shifter? Or aux gages/tach? Maybe not for a Falcon.
I would think the whole interior was restored – else would not the steering wheel/dash have cracks & carpet be faded, etc.?
Joe, great advice on the sway bar, and get the largest diameter sway bar you can. I did a 65 Futura convertible for my wife; added granada spindles for slight lowering and disc brakes, and a good heavy duty sway bar. Made all the difference to a car that ordinarily handles lousy. Of course a good set of radials also!
Good luck and stay safe.
Cheers
GPC
The “Australian” Falcon was billed as “Mustang Bred” with the introduction of the XR range in 1966.
I saw one in traffic recently.
Like it but don’t love it, and the spartan interior kinda puts the nail in the coffin for me. the car is just……boring. Ford was smart when designing the Mustang by making the interior sporty and attractive. Kudos to Lee Iacocca for saving Ford a ton of money by using the Falcon’s bones to build a car that is legendary. He was a class act, I would have told Henry Ford II to pound sand. Lee is the reason Ford had so many sharp designs in the 60’s.
Yet another compact Ford product that would make a cool period Goodwood race car and as a ’66 it’s just old enough. Of course this one is way too nice to strip down for race duty. Always found this body to very similar to the Cortina MKII though that one is even smaller and in Euro spec it’d have a hard time competing with a V8 Futura…
This is basically a shortened Fairlane, so should be possible to drop an FE in the engine bay. As such, it’s probably heavier than the ’64-5 Falcons, and you’ve no doubt seen them harrassing the Jaguars at Goodwood. Similarity to the Cortina always made me wonder which design influenced the other?
The Falcons through early 1970 shared the basics of the pre-’67 Mustang. The engine compartment won’t accept an FE big block without shock tower modifications.
The 1970 1/2 Falcon was technically a lower priced version of the Fairlane/Torino, and their engine compartments will accept an FE.
The Magnum’s give this old grocery getter a “hot car” vibe. Nice looking old Ford that doesnt wear horsey decals.
Are you sure it’s a 66, the body lines don’t look right. I had a 65 when I was in highschool
65 and 66 are two different body styles . Of the later body style ,only the 66 and 67s had round taillights . the 67s had different front fenders and grille, and of course the ugly horn buttons that Ford used that year. This is definitely a 66 , and I’d rather have this than any small block Mustang
IMHO, it is the nicest Falcon design of them all.
My ‘66 Mustang 289 3-spd turned a 16.2 quarter at Atco Dragway in 1976. Of course, the rust made mine lighter than stock!
Damn near perfect. My dad had one in metallic blue that I learned to drive in.
My first new car was the cheapest 1968 Ford available…a ’68 Falcon Club Coupe, the entry level Falcon. It was a 170 cubic inch straight six, but had an automatic transmission, power steering, white walls, full wheel covers, and an AM radio. It had been sitting on the lot for about 9 months, and they were willing to deal on the price. I think the list price on the car was around $2400, and although I really wanted the Mustang or the Fairlane that was across the showroom floor, this was the car my folks bought me. I remember telling folks all through college that under the body, it was a Mustang. Learned a lot about cars during the 3 years I owned it, as something was always going wrong with it, but I had wheels and since then have never bought a car that was sitting on the lot!
If I remember correctly, there was a console option. BUT, it was just a fancy box with a lid between the seats. It did NOT cover the transmission tunnel like the Mustang unit.
Got a ‘68 Sport Coupe 289/auto. as a bonus with my blushing bride in ‘77. Gold with white top and bone bucket seat. interior. Awesome car- even better wife.
I’ve watched this seller on ebay for a long time. He sells nice cars and this Falcon appears to be no exception. But I will say his cars are EXPENSIVE!
Had a ’67 Sports Coupe, 4-sp., limited slip rear, 225HP-289. It took 8 weeks from Ford to build. The best car for the price (2750.00 new). This one looks real nice. I can only say do not buy one with rust, there are many still left to get in good shape. If you can get it for a fair price, it will not drop in value.
Nice little car ready to be enjoyed.
When I lived in Mountain View in the early 80s I often saw one of these parked near the local Ford dealership. That one was a very attractive light yellow with a black vinyl roof.
For those who decry that this isn’t a Mustang and therefore barely worthy of consideration: look at that instrument cluster. Just like the earliest Mustangs used a Falcon gauge cluster, the 66 Falcon ” previewed ” the gauge cluster that would appear a year later in the Mustang.
Being a little bit lighter than a 66 Falcon, however, gives the Mustang an edge when comparably equipped.
@Howard Kerr
The Falcon connection to the Mustang always reminds me of the same thing with the Nova and Camaro.
The Mustang was fancier compared to the plain Jane Falcon. But a lot of people like the sleeper look of the Falcon. And I think it was exactly the same thing with the Camaro and Nova. The Camaro was fancier but the Nova had the sleeper look that a lot of people like.
I wonder if it has that trademark Ford squeak in the front end?
@RussT
All you have to do is lubricate those upper bushings to stop that squeak.
If the aussie boxy 4 door falcon with shaker hood is the same dimensions under the hood(shock tower outward intrusion, separation, etc), i would think its 351 v8 would easily fit in this ’66 usa falcon.
A 351 Windsor will fit into the engine compartment but it might need specialized exhaust headers to make it work.