Imagine for a minute a much different world than the one we live in, where American muscle cars as we knew them never existed. Instead of big and brawny V8s, American car companies focused instead on high-output, small-displacement motors with mid or rear-engine setups. A world where cars like the Chevy Corvair were not vilified but celebrated, and the Ford Mustang was a two seater with more in common than the Corvette than the Camaro.

That’s the world of the 1962 Mustang I concept car, the first Ford to bear the now-famous moniker. Somebody had an inkling that this would be more than just another concept car though, and the Blue Oval made sure to archive all the important moments in the design and building of the very first Ford Mustang. Thus we’re lucky enough to have this Mustang 1 promotional film, which details every inch of “original” Mustang.

If you’ve been following the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang, you no doubt have heard of this concept before, as well as its imaginative V4 engine mounted midships. This allowed for a more aerodynamically-friendly front end, as well as better weight distribution. What really struck us about the Mustang I concept though is that it was originally a two-seater. That would have dramatically altered the dynamics of a pony car aimed at young people.

Instead we’d have a cool but impractical sports car in the same vein as the Corvette, minus the big V8. It would have altered the dynamics of the late 1960s greatly if Ford had opted to pursue smaller cars and smaller engines, rather than going toe-to-toe with GM and Chrysler in the V8 game. Who knows how this may have altered the automotive landscape?

We’re glad things turned out the way they did, but after watching this whole video as the Mustang I, we can’t help but ponder one of life’s greatest questions: what if?