1965 Ford T5 (German Mustang) for Sale With 41k Miles ShownAutoblogAnton AndresMon, September 21, 2026 at 5:39 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleAutoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.A Mustang, but…Not?When is a Ford Mustang not a Mustang? The answer would be if it's a first-generation model that had to be sent to Germany. Readers of a certain age will probably know the story behind it, but in summary, Ford couldn't call the Mustang by its name in Germany for legal reasons.The name Ford chose? It was simply called the T5, and before you ask, there's no long-winded explanation as to why it was called as such. T5 was simply the internal designation for the Mustang at the time, so that's the name Ford gave its German-market Mustangs. It's an interesting footnote in the model's history, and one worth retelling from time to time.Everythingbantam/Bring a TrailerThe BackstorySo why couldn't Ford use the Mustang name in Germany back in the '60s? It wasn't because of the P-51 Mustangs that gave the German Luftwaffe headaches, but rather, someone else beat the American automaker to the rights to use it. Truck manufacturer Krupp had been calling one of its models the Mustang since the '50s, and Ford wasn't willing to spend $10,000 (over $100,000 in today's money) to buy the name. Hence, the T5 moniker came to be, and Ford used it from 1965 until 1978, when Krupp's hold on the Mustang nameplate expired.AdvertisementAdvertisementToday, T5S are incredibly rare as they're specific to the German market, and many have been lost over time. It also sold like no other Mustang, and the odds of seeing one are pretty slim these days. Classic.com doesn't list market values for T5-badged Mustangs, though it lists '65 to '66 first-generation coupe models at just below $23,000.And yet, one made its way to Bring a Trailer, and even more interesting: it allegedly never touched down in Germany. Per the listing, it stayed in the U.S. because the serviceman who had ordered it abroad canceled it. But instead of finding a new buyer, the car was sold to a Ford employee in the export division. It has seen several owners over the last 61 years, and it's looking for a new home yet again. Admittedly, it's far from perfect, but it's a rare car worth saving.Everythingbantam/Bring a TrailerThe OfferSpecificationDetailMakeFordModelT5 Coupe (German-market Mustang)Year1965Mileage40,670 miles shown (rolled odometer)Engine289 ci (4.7-liter) V8Power200 horsepowerTransmission3-speed automaticDrive typeRear-wheel driveExterior colorVintage BurgundyInterior colorBlackWheels14-inch steel wheels with coversSuspensionShort-long arms front, live-axle rearBrakesFour-wheel drumsSteeringRecirculating ball steeringCurrent bid$5,000Interested in this car? View the listing here.Everythingbantam/Bring a TrailerWhy It's SpecialOut of the millions of first-generation Mustangs that were made, it's estimated that fewer than 5,000 were ever badged as T5, and that's a relatively reasonable number. It's not like these were merely debadged Mustangs, either; they came with handling upgrades unseen in U.S./global models and even a stiffer chassis. It's a highly sought-after vintage car in Germany, and a repatriated T5 is even harder to come by stateside. This one never even left the country, and its backstory makes it worth saving and deserving of an extensive restoration.Everythingbantam/Bring a TrailerEverythingbantam/Bring a TrailerAdvertisementAdvertisementView the 9 images of this gallery on the original articleThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Sep 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Car Buying section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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