English: Ford Mustang – Year 1964 Deutsch: Ford Mustang Bj. 1964 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1964, Gail Wise, a young woman in Chicago, bought the first Mustang ever sold. It was a baby blue convertible hidden away under a tarp in the back of a showroom.

As reported in a story by A.J. Baime in the Nov. 13 Wall Street Journal, Ms. Wise bought the car “two days before the Mustang was introduced at the New York World’s Fair.”

Many years ago, a friend once let me drive his blue Mustang.  I remember the thrill of that like it was yesterday.

At first I thought I was drawn to Ms. Wise’s story because it was about a blue Mustang. But then I realized it was more than that. The Tale of her Mustang is full of lessons to live by:

1. Believe in yourself.
So here she was: a new college grad, with a new job, and she was going to get a new car–ready to drive forward on the next phase of her life’s journey.

2. Know what you want.
And Ms. Wise absolutely knew that she wanted a convertible.

3. Ask for help when you need it.
The car that she was dreaming of wasn’t on the showroom floor, but she didn’t turn around and leave the dealer. She asked for help.

4. Make positive human connection.
The salesman invited her to the back of the showroom to check out a car that was under a tarp. I can imagine him enjoying this young woman’s determination and enthusiasm. He was willing to help her achieve her dream.

5. Take risks.
She–and most of the world–had never heard of a Mustang before, but she was willing to give it a go.

6. Have fun.
When she drove out of the dealership, Wise said that she felt “like a movie star!”

7. Hold on to what you love.
Almost 50 years later, she still takes that car on the road.

Related articles

• She Still Owns the First Mustang Sold (online.wsj.com)
• She’s the world’s first Mustang owner (autos.aol.com)