09/28/2025
In the spring of 1964, 22-year-old Gail Wise was a third-grade teacher in Berkeley, Illinois, but little did she know, she was about to make history.
On April 15, 1964, Gail and her father walked into Johnson Ford on Cicero Avenue in Chicago, searching for the perfect convertible.
The family had always driven Fords—her father owned a ’57 Fairlane and a ’63 Thunderbird, so Gail knew exactly what she wanted. There was just one problem: there were no convertibles on the showroom floor.
Seeing her disappointment, the salesman took a chance and showed her something hidden in the back, under a tarp. What he revealed was none other than a "Skylight Blue" Ford Mustang convertible—the first of its kind.
The catch? It wasn’t supposed to be sold for two more days until after the official unveiling at the New York World’s Fair. No test drives allowed either. But Gail didn’t need one. The moment she saw it, she knew it was hers.
The price tag? $3,447.50. Her salary at the time? Just $5,000 a year. But with a loan from her father, Gail became the very first person in the United States to buy a Ford Mustang—two days before anyone else even saw one.
As she drove out of the showroom, heads turned, and people waved. It was as if she had become a celebrity overnight. The next day, she drove her Mustang to school, where the seventh and eighth graders swarmed the car, amazed at what they were seeing.
For the next 15 years, that Mustang was Gail’s pride and joy. She married Tom Wise in 1966, and they had four kids together.
The car became part of their family’s daily life, from McDonald’s runs with the kids to joyrides around town. Back in those days, seatbelts were only in the front seats, and the passenger seat didn’t even adjust.
Despite its quirks, the Mustang was an icon on the road, but after years of Chicago winters, the car began to show its age. Rust took over, and the engine started having problems.
By the late '70s, the Mustang’s glory days seemed over. Tom pushed it into the garage, planning to fix it the next week, but that week turned into 27 years. Gail, ready to move on, suggested scrapping the car, but Tom refused, calling it his retirement project.
In 2005, after retiring at 60, he finally began the long process of restoring the car. He stripped it down to almost nothing, leaving just the four wheels and the steering wheel before handing it off to specialists for bodywork and engine repair.
It took about a year and $35,000, but Tom brought the Mustang back to life, adding a custom horn that sounds like a whinnying horse for good measure.
When the restoration was complete, Tom started researching the car’s history. That’s when they realized Gail’s Mustang was the very first one ever sold in the U.S. It wasn’t long before Ford took notice.
The couple was invited to Mustang events, including the 10 millionth Mustang celebration in Dearborn, and even got the chance to drive the car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Though they don’t drive it much now, the Mustang remains a family treasure. Gail and Tom’s four kids haven’t expressed much interest in keeping it, so it will likely be sold when the time comes.
But for now, the first Mustang ever sold in the U.S. sits proudly in their garage, a testament to one couple’s journey through life and the car that’s been with them every step of the way.
Credit goes to the Respective Owner-✍️
