Ford T5 Coupe Surfaces at Auction as Rare Mustang That Couldn’t Use Its Name in Germany

Euro Stang

The 1960s were the era of the muscle car, started and brought to international acclaim by the first-generation Ford Mustang. At first, the Mustang dominated the American landscape, selling quicker than anything ever, which then drew interest from foreign markets.

Back then, it wasn’t as easy as it is now to just send a model to another market; supply was tighter, and there was more competition. In Europe, Ford wanted to sell the Mustang because it was winning races there, but something prevented it, leading to a very rare model.

Ford T5 Coupe

When the first-generation Mustang debuted in 1966, despite low demand in Europe, Ford sold the Mustang in France, the UK, and Germany. The last country on that list is the reason this is not a Mustang. German truck maker Krupp owned the Mustang trademark in Germany and wasn’t about to let up when it came to allowing Ford to use it. This led Ford to rename it T5 in Germany and remove the Mustang badges from the car.

We don’t think this would have affected sales too much, since the T5 is unmistakably a Mustang without being called one; it has the same design and still retains the galloping horse logo. One rare and very well-restored example is up for auction on Bring-a-Trailer, a black-on-tan combination with just about 29,000 miles on the clock.

According to the listing, this car is believed to be the last T5 coupe produced and is the only one finished in black from the factory.

Powering this car is the legendary K-code 289ci V8, which makes 271 hp and is mated to a 4-speed manual transmission. Another unique feature for the T5 Coupe is the speedometer; since the United States and Germany use different measurement systems, this car has a special speedometer that now indicates metric measurements.

Coming Home

This car was imported to the United States in 1981 and restored in 2007 by The Mustang Shop in Arizona. It then changed hands to its current owner in 2010, and in 2023, the car underwent an extensive service. The carburetor and radiator were rebuilt, then just last March 2026, the brakes were overhauled and valve cover gaskets replaced.

Bidding ends in two days, and the current price is just $29,750, which isn’t bad for something this interesting and well preserved.