When Americans travel abroad, they might catch the odd glimpse of a Ford Mustang. If they’re especially lucky, they might even find a classic in Paris. But if there’s a car left on the market that exemplifies the values that once defined American cars, it’s the Mustang. After all, the Mustang was not only born in the US, it became more than a car because of the way it tapped so deftly into the American psyche. Developed for American tastes, the Mustang has done best when it clings to the simplicity of the formula that made it an icon. Which is why it’s a bit puzzling to hear Ford telling Automotive News [sub] that the next Mustang will be designed based on styling themes from Ford’s global design studios, rather than the US-based team that has always taken the lead on Mustang design.
Which is not to say that only an American can design a Mustang: after all, some of the most “American” contemporary designs come from studios around the world. The problem, rather, seems to be that Ford’s Product Development boss Derrick Kuzak sees the Mustang as
is not just an icon in North America, it is an icon globally
Yes, it’s true. Early Mustangs were especially beloved in Europe, and there are certainly cult followers around the world, but surely Kuzak realizes that the Mustang is largely an “icon” due to its American-ness. In markets where front-drive hatches and Euro-sportsters rule, the Mustang’s throaty V8, live rear axle and evocative looks make it a symbol of rebellious cool. Is it possible that design teams in Australia, Germany and Asia can actually help mythologize into the Mustang’s uniquely American identity? Sure. And you can even make the argument that the current Mustang’s design is showing the need for some fresh perspective. Let’s just hope the lessons of the Ford Probe have been well-learned…
Wow, those are some nifty contortions the Ford people are tying themselves into these days.
Which is why it’s a bit puzzling to hear Ford telling Automotive News [sub] that the next Mustang will be designed based on styling themes from Ford’s global design studios, rather than the US-based team that has always taken the lead on Mustang design.
I don’t know what’s so puzzling. Ford is on a rampant One Ford global homogenization rampage designed to cut costs and make everything up to the F-450 look like a Fiesta and share a common platform.
Ok, maybe not quite, but you see my point?
Or perhaps I’m merely pessimistic that “uniquely American identity” is as dead as the dodo in this brave new autodom.
is “global design studios” a code word for “cheaper”?
GM doesn’t apparently do much car design in the US anymore (everything new is touted to be Opel or Daewoo).
Ford is starting to talk a lot about “global” – is this a way to reduce costs?
(side note: I still don’t understand how Germany could be considered a “low cost” place to do engineering. They have the expertise but low costs?).
The Mustang is successful because of its “Americaness”, it is stupid for them to make a “european” ‘Stang. It’s the same reason Cadillac doesn’t sell in Europe. They are trying to make Cadillac a BMW/Mercedes clone when Cadillac represents the idea American luxury.
Let the Euro studios do a new Capri, don’t mess with our Mustang.
Amen. Europe was fed the Cougar and we didn’t lap it up. There were rumours of a new Capri which everyone got very excited about back in 2008 but nothing happened.
I honestly don’t think a European design team would do the car justice. Part of the appeal of a Mustang is its simplicity – a European design team would angle for a complicated Bimmer beater.
I don’t really mind the giving the Aussies some input. Those folks know how to build a fun car.
IRS, turbo charged Ford Oz straight 6, classic mustang styling. Oh, boy! Now you’re talking! Think BMW, except it would be beautiful.
Let’s just hope the lessons of the Ford Probe have been well-learned
Would that lesson be “Even if you build a car that’s better in almost every way than the dinosaur it’s going to replace, a bunch of greybeards will kick up such a fuss that you’ll have to rename it and keep said dinosaur around for another decade”?
Yeah, Ford, get to work on that suppository-shaped Mustang replacement! The me-too’ers want a me-too Evo hot hatch shooting brake rice rocket VTEC powered…………
Don’t give the N. American market a sports car to lust over or anything or make it unique. Make it exactly like what they build in Germany or Japan, because we have no automotive heritage here and want to be just like them!
Hurry up, that brave new world can’t come fast enough!
@86er
Doubt they’ll do that. I guess they’ll keep the V8s pretty much in NA and offer them in V6 and I4 guises elsewhere.
My statement is based on thin air and speculation. Going global to me sounds like I4. And that’s what I’m basing my comments on.
The FWD suppository was a better car in every way that Mustang buyers have never cared about.
The problem is a Honda Accord was better still in all of those ways.
Trying to outbland Japan was and is a losing proposition.
Would that lesson be “Even if you build a car that’s better in almost every way than the dinosaur it’s going to replace, a bunch of greybeards will kick up such a fuss that you’ll have to rename it and keep said dinosaur around for another decade”?
Are you talking about the Toyota Corolla? The Corolla sells well, but Mustang customers are not interested by Corollas.
Are you talking about the Toyota Corolla?
No, not the Corolla, but 86er’s calling Ford’s last cut at a global Mustang replacement a suppository was apt not just because of the shape, but because of the name.
Now, keep in mind that it’s competition was the 83-86 Fox-body Mustang. It’s true that, towards the end, the Fox-body was almost respectable, but in the late 80s the Probe was a better car.
psarhjinian, I owned a 1st generation Ford Probe LX and it is a better car than it’s peer the Chevrolet Beretta, but it isn’t a Mustang or even a Nissan 240SX. The main problem with the Probe is that it is FWD and somewhat overweight and underpowered. The Nissan 240SX is also underpowered, but it is RWD. Every Mustang ever built including the ones with Pinto DNA could be easily modified for better quarter mile times. Take away the ability for the aftermarket to make the Mustang into the car that CAFE doesn’t allow anymore and you kill lots of what makes it American.
No, that would be “Don’t make a FWD thing that looks like any number of other boring cheap economy cars and then call it a Mustang” lesson. It’s such a simple lesson, even the most thickheaded auto executives should be able to understand it.
It was obvious to me as soon as I saw the first pics of the Probe/Mustang, and I’m no Mustang fan, I’ve never owned, or really wanted a Ford in my life.
In markets where front-drive hatches and Euro-sportsters rule, the Mustang’s throaty V8, live rear axle and evocative looks make it a symbol of rebellious cool.
Mustang the “brand” is sort of like “Harley-Davidson” the brand. We’ll see how this shakes out.
Global icon indeed. A Mustang starred in the 1966 French film Un Homme et une Femme along with a GT40 and lots of other cool cars. The director, Claude LeLouch, is perhaps better known for the underground classic C’etait Un Rendez-vous.
The whole C’etait Un Rendez-vous here.. The last time i was in Paris was in the late 90´s and i remember there being a lot more cars on the road than there was when this was filmed.
Well Mustangs are a global icon. Anyone in BRazil who is half an enthusiast knows and enthues about it. It is imported into BRazil by independent shops (don’t know if Ford is missing the boat on this one, GM now imports the top of the line Camaro into Brazil at R$115,000 and each one has been bought – much more succesful than their feeble attempts at selling the Malibu here, which is a resounding flop – they cant give them away). If Ford could make it a bit smaller and lighter and fit it with a modern 2.0 I4 it would sell like hotcakes down here.
I know heresy! But elsewhere around the globe V8s are for rich people. ANd people used to driving 1.0L cars think that a 2.0 with more than 150 horses is a rocket ship and something to be desired. Maybe global input means something like that. I’m keeping my fingers crossed
Marcelo,
If the Camaro can be sold in your country, then the Mustang would sell twice as many. I, and many others, think it is the better car.
@BMWfan
I know that, too! I also think it’s a better car. And more stylish to boot! Plus it has the name. Camaro, not nearly so legendary.
Problem is, at those prices, it’s a niche car. At those prices you’re talking BMW and Mercedes competition. While the BMW and Mercedes cars can also claim “real” car usefulness (4 doors, 5 seats), the Camaro and Mustang would just be for serious and moneyed enthusiasts. We all know how small that market is in US. Imagine how small it is in Brazil?!
So when I propose a smaller, lighter, I4 Mustang I’m thinking mass market. In Brazil sales of at least 3K a month. The way it is it would be lucky to break 100. Now, would that affect the icon? SUrely, but if you make it really sporty the legend would live on. Not just as an American dream (and believe me these cars are seen as dream cars by BRazilians), but as a real, attainable, “Brazilian” dream. Is that so bad?
I knew it! I have been waiting for the next step on the retro-Mustang’s evolutionary ladder, and this just confirms my suspicions. Fiesta-platform Mustang II mark 2, here we come!
I attended school in Germany, and Mustangs are the epitome of what is beloved about America. Levis, leather baseball jackets, ball caps, and cigarettes. It is not incorrect to recognize the global appeal of Mustangs.
But not a Probe, or a Mustang II. We can cringe when considering how the Probe camethisclose to becoming a Mustang, but please remember the experience of Mustang II. There was no global or Mazda involvement when that embarrassing piece of crap was unveiled by Iaccoca as the second coming of his beloved ‘Stang. The Mustang II was an unforced error committed by Americans.
Evolutionary designs pointed towards the Probe as the next Mustang. There was a lot of thought and design that went into it. The Probe was a very good car. As events unfolded between the Fox Mustangs and the Flat Rock Probe, many auto manufacturers, not just Ford, considered FWD, turbo charged six cylinders, and a jelly bean profile to be the next natural step. What saved the Mustang from becoming a Probe was how RWD and a V8 became a symbol of testosterone in a marketing world filled with FWD sporty coupes.
It wasn’t because the new Preludes, Celicas, Probes, or Daytonas weren’t sporty, it was the fact that there existed a traditional man’s car in the forms of the Camaro/Firebird, Mustang/Capri, 240SX, that presented themselves to the market as serious guys cars. It presented itself as a marketing ploy to sell cars with drivetrains, bodies and interiors paid off from the previous decade, meaning a higher profit.
Toyota gave the ladies a FWD Celica, and guys a RWD Supra.
Nissan gave the ladies a FWD Pulsar, and guys a RWD 240 SX.
Mazda gave the ladies a FWD MX-6, and guys a RWD RX.
Chevy gave the ladies a FWD Beretta, and guys a RWD Camaro.
Ford gave the ladies a FWD Probe, (heh-heh!), and guys a RWD Mustang.
Even with quite sophisticated FWD sport cars, guys got the picture that not only were cars like the Mustang and Camaro American, they were old school cars with balls. By the time the new Mustang was released in 1994, the reaffirmation of the V8 RWD sports car in a modern form sent manufacturers a message that true sports cars didn’t come as metrosexual FWD vehicles.
Ford got lucky that they had management that sensed a problem with replacing the Fox Mustang with a FWD Probe-like vehicle. Ford’s management listened, and hesitated at the right moment to save this important market and icon.
The Mustang II was an American mess. Iacocca peed over his famous vehicle and even offered a Gucci notchback Mustang, complete with a hood ornament, opera windows, padded vinyl roofs with lamps, and the poorest excuse for something with the galloping Mustang logo ever. For a guy who loved to scoop up profits from options, Iaccoca didn’t see the need to make the Mustang capable of being sporty enough to engineer the car so that it could be a decent sports car. What Iacocca did to the Mustang with the Mustang II should show us that Lee could sell his kids to the orphanage for a buck fifty.
Based on what we’ve seen from Ford, and our relationship to the Mustang, we have real reasons to be wary of their attempts to modernize this car. Ford has demonstrated over the decades that they don’t always realize the value of this gem and willingly squander it’s value in an attempt to gather more coins for Dearborn’s coffers.
What Ford has to do is ask itself if a chain smoking leather jacketed biker with a past DUI record or any guy who quietly admirers such a man for what he represents could want their new Mustang before they strip it of it’s masculine traits. Don’t Euro-ize it, don’t disco-ize it, don’t Probe-ize it.
Dude, that was a fantastic piece!
Totally agree, there are certain cars that have balls, and others that dont. Speed is irrelevant in those cases. E.g. A Civic Si on good rubber can keep up with a stock 05-10 Mustang GT on a twisty track…
…but…
On the street, one whirrs and zings, the other growls and bleeds testosterone!
Having lived through all of that, and having owned a ’87 GT 5.0 for 5 years, there is one big development you overlook — the double whammy of emission controls and gas prices (+CAFE). In the late 70s and early 80s Detroit struggled to meet emission standards and also the public’s demand (not just government mandates) for fuel-efficient vehicles. Regrettably, early Detroit efforts at emission controls produced engines that were hugely inefficient, in terms of HP/displacement as well as HP/fuel economy. The only answer was to downsized vehicles and reduce weight — hence the Mustang II.
Happily, by the late 1980s, the combination of fuel injection, catalytic converters and electronic engine management systems of increasing sophistication led to dramatic increases of HP/displacement and HP/fuel consumption. So, it was once again possible to have a stonkin’ V-8 that did not have mpg ratings in the single digits. As a result, the Mustangs of the late 80s were (finally) able to meet (or exceed) the all-around performance of the Mustangs of the late 60s.
The muscle car formula is evergreen: 80% of “fun-to-drive” comes from stuffing a lot of power into a modest sized car. Do that and nothing else, and there’s a ready market. The other 20% — handling finesse, serious brakes — costs a lot more to engineer and build, and people can do without it.
I don’t recall what the observed (or rated fuel) economy of my ’87 GT was, but I don’t recall it being a gas hog.
I sense the end of an era coming boys, so you better get one while you can. To me, a Mustang will never be a Mustang unless it’s made in the USA. It’s one of the few cars that Detroit did almost perfect. I’d like mine as a Boss 302 if they ever offer different colors.
It’s the end of an era that most of the world never experienced (and I say this without ill-intention or malice of any kind). So a thoughtfully put together, Mustang like design in an economic I4 package will be appealling to all (except NA). I suspect Ford knows this though so they’ll keep a live axle, V8, RWD car available for the boys in NA (at least for the next 10 years or so)
The Mustang seems to be trending well compare to the rest, they have maintained “lightness” compare to the others. If they continue, an Ecoboost Six combined with some downsizing should maintain performance.
Just leave the rear wheel arches big, keep it RWD only and leave room in the engine bay…this way the NA guys can throw their 315s in the back, stick on the 410s and make all the pipes under the hood bigger. After all, that’s all most mustang owners want to do, hehe.
Didn’t they just give the Mustang a face-lift last year? I thought it was nice before they Camaro’d it up, makes me worried about what the new one will look like.
Thant’s pretty much a matter of opinion about the facelift. I was comparing a new Mustang yesterday to an older one (pre-2010) and to me the newer ones are better looking. I can’t really place it, but the overall shape is better to me in the new car. And it is definately not Camaro-like in any way.
Its just the front end that looks like the Camaro the rest of the car looks the same. The tailights were slanted which goes with the front end but also just look unnecessary.
I will say this though, the new face-lift looks better then the older one in black and “M&M Blue” as I call it, it really depends on the color.
No need to panic. The Mustang is a global icon – as are jeans, T-shirts, Jazz, blues and rock & roll – and all are American. If the world wants a Mustang we should be more than happy to sell it to them. Wasn’t the 05 re-design lead by a Vietnamese born migrant? What could be more American than that story?
There’s a big dif between an immigrant, and a foreign team. Remember, the converted are often the most devout.
Any redesign should make the mustang better at what it already is, rather than trying to change it in any way.
By the way, Ed, I could swear that photo was taken in Denver (probably by Murilee). It’s definitely not Paris.
Carguy, you pretty much nailed it on the head. Really, no further discussion needed.
A “Global Mustang”? That one pictured (65 – 66?), is global enough for me!
Mulally has convinced me on just about everything, but the global “one Ford” push does not have me convinced as yet. I understand how someone from aircraft manufacturing would like to standardize on a small number of global vehicles. This is a great plan for keeping costs down and quality up. But will it sell a lot of cars and trucks?
We all know that different regions of the world have unique tastes in cars, whether in style or type. German cars favor the open road.
Rear wheel drive is common in Australian cars. Asian cars can be a little quirky (think Nissan Cube) if the edges are not smoothed out for global consumption.
I find it hard to put my finger on what “American-ness” is in a vehicle. If I had to guess, I would say that Chrysler builds cars and trucks that are “more American” in style than average. But I know what “American-ness” is not. It is not the Nissan Cube, or the Dodge/Freightliner Sprinter, or the Ford Transit Connect. That the first one does not sell well is expected, it is supposed to play on the small niche that likes some of the quirkier Japaneese designs. But the Sprinter has been a huge failure here. Is it becaue it is really expensive? Expensive to maintain? More van than most need? Maybe. The ancient E series and Chevy Express designs outsell it like crazy. I understand that the Transit Connect has also been a slow seller, but without the size/cost/maintenance issues of the Sprinter. People are still buying “American” vans that are ancient designs and in many ways inferior to the Connect.
It is my fear that the products of Mulally’s “One Ford” will either find favor in a few areas of the world and languish elsewhere, or else will become so neutral that they really appeal to nobody. I hope that I am wrong, but I don’t see this working out nearly as well as many think it will. I am fearful that the Mustang will lose its “American-ness” under “One Ford”.
So far, the folks in Dearborn seem to know what they’re doing, so we’ll see… Having said that, if a Mustang isn’t RWD with a big honking engine, it just isn’t a Mustang. Over my years of working at Ford, I had seven different Mustangs because some years I just wanted a Mustang, dammit, and having to pick your route home in a snowstorm carefully (mostly to avoid the possibility of having to stop on an incline) is a small price to pay.
The Probes were good cars (I had a 1st gen turbo and a 2nd gen V6), but they weren’t Mustangs. A combination of turbo lag and really nasty torque steer made the 1st gen a difficult car to drive fast, but the 2nd gen was really sweet. Not a Mustang, but a great car to live with every day.
One of the car rags put the new 89 Probe GT (the turbo version) up against a new 89 Mustang GT. In the quarter the Mustang launched a lot better than did the Probe, but the Probe caught up quickly…..after the turbo spooled up. The Mustang just barely managed to beat the Probe by a nose. With a bit more tweaking, the Probe could have been just as fast, or faster, in a straight line. After the first gen probe was put to bed, Ford pretty much gave up on any performance aspirations for the second gen Probe…it was just a little secretaries car by then. After that, Ford put all it’s money on SUV’s, and it paid off handsomely, right up until the US got kicked in the taco financially. Don’t expect to see any new small sport coupes from the American car makers anytime soon. Young drivers who would consider one no longer have the money, and the older folks are too fat/feeble to climb into a small low car.
Do I sense some Fox Body love in the comments? Still love those cars, especially my ’93 coupe.
Had an ’84 Notch V6 that was a nice car, apart from stalling and alignment issues. There were way too many hoses under the hood too. It looked pretty cool though.
I had a 1981 Mercury Capri Turbo RS, a 1985 Capri 5.0 RS and a 1986 Capri 5.0 Sport Coupe (see a pattern here?). Yes, I’m fond of the ol’ Fox bodies.
“with a bit more tweaking the proble could have been just as fast, or faster in a staright line.” With a bit of tweaking the mustang would have sucked the probe up it’s exhaust pipes. People were getting mustangs into the 11’s (and still do) without even touching the shortblock.
With a bit of programming, the STOCK Probe GT would have been as fast as a STOCK Mustang GT with half the cylinders, and less than half the displacement, while returning real world mileage numbers of 23/32. I doubt the 6 cylinder Mustangs from that era could manage those kind of mileage numbers. Americans have demonstrated over and over again, they care not one bit about good design and efficiency. And it’s coming back to bite us on the butt.
Imagine if you will, if in 1970 Porsche had said “hey, let’s re-design the 911! Let’s make it more globally appealing by:
1. Making it a REAL 4-seater.
2. Giving it a front-mounted liquid-cooled pushrod six.
3. Hey, while we’re at it, let’s make it a 4-door.
4. ….with front-wheel drive.
5. … and enough interchangeable VW parts to keep it affordable to the average waitress.
6. Ditch the manual transmission, making it only available with an automatic.
7. Let’s also install 20-mph bumpers.
8. Corinthian leather.
9. A vinyl roof “Landau” option.
10. Finally, let’s build it in Mexico!
See what happens when you muck up a successful formula? Fortunately Porsche was intelligent enough to keep the basic design and look from day one. Ford took another route in ’74 with the Mutant Mustang II, with disasterous results.
The retro mustang is one of the few domestics I’d buy just as quickly as I would a Honda or Toyota if it met my utility needs. I’m not sure how Ford would go about topping the classic Mustangs they’ve been building since 2005. But I do know that deviating from that formula by too much of a margin would kill it. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
With a bit of programming the STOCK mustang would have whipped the STOCK probe with a bit of programming. With twice the number of cylinders it doesn’t need a stinkin turbo to make power, nor does it need to rev itself to the moon.
The probe weighs less and is more aerodynamic then the Mustang, it’d take some re-programing and emmisions equipment removing to really unleash a 5.0.
Hopefully a “Global Mustang” will provide some architecture for Ford Oz to build the next Falcon.
Uh……no. Right after the 5.0 was released aftermarket companies started releasing tons of smog legal bolt on equipment, and people were driving their stangs to the dragstrip and flogging them.
The car was so popular due to the ease with which it could make power (and remain smog legal) that new aftermarket companies were even formed just to make parts for it. Some magazines of the day referred to it as “the 55 chevy” of the 80’s.
Nice write up. And I agree with most of what you say. But Nissan gave the guys (who could afford it – not I) the 300Z. The 240 was a cool car but a way-underpowered-tease. None of us car guys (this was before drifting became popular) would seriously consider the 240, when a similar amount of money could buy a “Corvette powered” IROC, or even Nissan’s own SE-R.
I don’t think the Mustang will go global anytime soon. It may be idolized but if you consider that GM sold less than 10,000 2010 Camaros overseas (IIRC) and BMW sold approx. 10,000 M3 worldwide, most of which were sold in the U.S., there really isn’t enough global demand anywhere else. OK, maybe a few in Europe but the European Union just banned the Mustang’s 5 liter for emissions reasons. They don’t have a problem with the V6 and would consider a diesel Mustang… Yuck!
Turns out, the M3 emits 20% more CO2 and get 25% less MPG. Hmmm.
Then there’s the M3 GTS that lacks airbags, safety glass, emission controls (except for track cats) but is somehow street legal in the EU!
The Mustang maybe idolized globally but if less than 10k overseas Camaros were sold (IIRC) and approx. 10k M3 were sold worldwide (most in the U.S.), there really isn’t enough global demand anywhere outside the U.S., is there? OK, maybe a few in Europe but the European Union just rejected the Mustang’s 5.0 for emissions. They’re OK with the V6 and will entertain a diesel Mustang… Say what???
The M3 emits 20% more CO2s and gets 25% less MPG. Hmmm.
Then there’s the M3 GTS that lacks airbags, safety glass, emission control equipment (except track cats) but is somehow street legal!?
The Mustang may by idolized globally but if you consider less
than 10k 2010 Camaros were sold overseas (IIRC) and approx. 10k M3s were sold worldwide (most in the U.S), there really isn’t enough demand outside
the U.S. to justify export. OK, maybe a few would sell in Europe but the European Union already
the U.S. to justify export. OK, may a few would sell in Europe but the
European Union already bannned the Mustang’s 5 liter for emisson reasons.
EU already banned the Mustang’s
5 liter for emissons reasons. They don’t have a problem with the Mustang’s
V6 and will entertain thoughts on a diesel Mustang… YUCK!
The M3 actually emits 20% more CO2 and gets 25% less MPG. Hmmm.
Then there’s the M3 GTS that lacks airbags, safety glass, emission control equipment (except for track cats) but is somehow street legal in the EU!?
//sorry, i apologize for the mess; the computer kept blocking the comment when all together. Called it SPAM!?
ref: (edit) http://gas2.org/2010/04/06/turbo-diesel-mustang-for-europe-maybe-some-day/
You couldn’t get the ‘good’ engine with the US Spec 240SX. The SR20DET 2.0 with the turbo was never offered as an option here. If it had been available, the 240SX would’ve been a lot more attractive, and I might well have bought one back in ’92 instead of a 2nd gen Ford Probe GT.