Central to the program was the "Branding" kit, manufactured for Ford by DSI of Plymouth, Michigan. Each kit included one pre-cut, hand-sewn vinyl roof cover; a set of pre-cut "Thoroughbred" tape stripes; two large running-horse emblems for the left and right C-pillars; two chrome moldings to blend the lower edges of the top into the quarter panels; two cans of Mastic glue; and installation instructions; all neatly packed into a 3-foot mailing tube and priced (to the dealer) at $47.25.

Hot sellers at the time, these Branded Mustang kits had been all but forgotten when Fran Cosentino discovered one on eBay nearly a decade ago. An aficionado of unusual Fords, Cosentino purchased the kit and learned all he could about the program. He then shared his research with former Mustang Monthly editor Donald Farr, who published the article "Branded Marketing" on the website Mustang 360 in December of 2012.


Like the Mustang itself, the Branding kits offered plenty of options. The 4-inch-wide stripes -- cut to run the full length of the car, literally from bumper to bumper -- were available in red, white, black, blue or gold. The vinyl tops offered even more choices: 15 combinations of color and pattern, including paisleys, tweeds, "leathers" and "sculptured" florals.



"They ran from pretty cool to butt ugly," said Cosentino. "But keep in mind it was the '60s."

Even the C-pillar emblems could be ordered in "silver" or "gold." to better blend with the top color, or just to provide more opportunity for individual expression.