Tony was a prolific professional motorcycle racer in the 1960s. He was a factory rider for Yamaha, Honda and Bridgestone. He won the first-ever National at Loudon in 1965 and he was technically the first person to win a United States World Grand Prix in 1964—a 350 Grand Prix race event at Daytona.
Tony lived in Southern California, and he bought this GTA new from Covina Ford in early Spring of 1967. It was $3200, and he financed it for 36 months with a payment of $100.
Tony worked at Petersen Publishing at the time as the editor of Motorcyclist Magazine. While shopping for this car, his co-worker friends at Motor Trend Magazine urged him to get the 289 instead of the 390. They had tested both and claimed the lighter weight and better handling made the 289 a better choice as an all-around performer.
Tony bought this 289 as a result, and Tony’s wife Julie got to pick the color. It is still in the original Harvest Yellow today.
Upon purchasing, the Motor Trend-editor friends told Tony to get rid of the stock steel wheels, and they gave him a set of Fenton aluminum wheels. Tony kept the original hubcaps from the stock steel wheels, and they are included, but the car has worn the Fentons its entire life.
Tony was embedded in the Southern California motorcycle and car community, and he was out with this Mustang to see his friend Bob Bondurant at Orange County Raceway in December 1968. Bob was speaking to Tony and a group of students there, lamenting that he needed to get rid of his Ford GT40. He told them that the first person to give him $5,000 would get the GT40. Tony desperately wanted the GT40, but he had recently purchased a Norton Manx new, was making $15,000 a year, and was burdened by the $100 payment on this Mustang GTA. He couldn’t scrape the $5,000 together.
Tony and Bob Bondurant were lifelong friends, and they went on to win the Baja 500 together in 1969 in a Rambler 396 V8 that was sponsored by actor James Garner.
Tony was also friends with Vic Edelbrock and Vic’s right-hand-man Bob Fleckenstein. In the early 1970s the stock Ford carburetor was leaking fuel out of the casting, so Bob gave Tony—and installed—an Edelbrock four-barrel carb and aluminum manifold.
That carb and the wheels are two of the non-original parts on the car. The only other is the steering wheel. At just 5'6", when the seat was forward, the stock steering wheel jutted out too far putting it in to Tony's chest, hence a shallower wheel.
Tony was a big fan of the movie Bullit. Steve McQueen drove a 1968 Fastback GT in it with a 390. Tony says if you watch the movie carefully, in two instances, you will see a Harvest Yellow fastback in the background of scenes.
This was Tony’s commuter to the Petersen Publishing offices in Hollywood until 1979. Tony moved up to the Southern California High Desert and the Mustang has been stored there in his barn ever since. He drives it a few times a year, and it has stayed clean and relatively rust free in the super-dry desert air.
Tony did a clean up on the car about 15 years ago including polishing chrome and a repaint in the original Harvest Yellow. This is not a restored car, just a good original. This car has never been in an accident.
There are, though, a few cosmetic imperfections. Below the bumper on the right-hand side is a small dent from backing into something years ago. There are a couple of chips in the paint. The passenger door crease has a ripple in it from brushing up against a wood post in the barn. There is one small tear in the top of the rear seat's leather and one crack in a rear armrest. Otherwise the leather and dash are in great condition and the headliner is perfect. Carpets are tear-free and Tony has the original mats.
The car has 151,538 miles on it. The engine is original and runs extremely well. It was compression checked on July 17 with the #1 and #2 cylinders at 130psi and all others between 150 and 160. It starts up immediately, blows cold A/C, runs smooth and pulls hard. It’s a joy to drive.
Being the only owner and cherishing this car that carried him through the best times of his life, Tony was happy to see it go to a new owner that was going to drive the car like it deserved. Thanks to everyone that helped give this car a new life.
