Mach 1 trademarked by Ford

S550Boss · Oct 24, 2013

Seems Ford may be getting ready for an in-between model again:

Ford Motor Company is in the process of acquiring a trademark for the term “Mach 1″, Ford Authority has learned.

Filed on Thursday February 23, 2012 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the trademark application was given a serial number of 85551201 and lists a (rather lengthy) goods and services category of (inhales): land motor vehicles, namely, automobiles and their engines; exterior insignia badges for vehicles; vehicle rooftop carriers; spare tire covers; fitted motor vehicle covers; bug deflectors for motor vehicles; running boards for motor vehicles; mud flaps for motor vehicles; trailer hitch receiver plugs for motor vehicles; sunshades for motor vehicles; license plate frames for motor vehicles; windshields for motor vehicles; windows for motor vehicles; wheels for motor vehicles; hub caps for motor vehicle wheels; fitted truck bed covers and truck bed liners.

The USPTO published Ford’s application for opposition on January 1, 2013, allowing anyone to voice their concerns on the trademark registration moving forward. As of August 26, 2013, the trademark application has a status of First Extension – Granted, referring to Ford’s request to delay the filing of its Statement of Use — a legal document summarizing the way in which the automaker is using the trademarked term in a real-world product or service. To note, the USPTO offers trademark applicants a maximum of six extensions each lasting six months to file the SOU, for a total of three years.

Some of you may remember that Ford first used the Mach 1 name on a production model in 1968. The moniker continued to adorn performance-styled Stangs until the end of the Mustang II in 1978. The name was the resurrected on the fourth-generation 2003 and 2004 Mustang powered by the love-it-or-hate-it all-aluminum 4.6 liter Modular 32 Valve DOHC V8.

The Ford Authority Take

The status of the trademark application could provide an interesting understanding of what’s going on here. Given that, as part of the trademark process, anyone seeking to acquire a trademark is required to submit to the USPTO a Statement of Use outlining how the trademarked term is currently being used in a real-world offering, combined with the fact that Ford has asked the office for more time to file such a document, tells us that The Blue Oval can’t file the SOU since a vehicle with the Mach 1 name is not yet available to the public. And if our assumptions are correct in that the automaker will utilize the Mach 1 name for a trim level of the sixth-generation 2015 Mustang, then Ford won’t be able to file such a document until sometime in 2014 or 2015 (when it has already introduced the new model). However, it technically has up to three years to do so from the original filing date.

And that brings us to another possibility: there have been reports stating that Shelby American won’t be involved in the development or branding of the next-generation Mustang flagship. So it could be possible that the Ford-designed and Ford-engineered sixth-gen Mustang range-topper will wear the Mach 1 moniker, rather than the Shelby GT500 name.
All this makes us yearn for the next-generation Mustang that will be unveiled in December that much more.

http://fordauthority.com/2013/10/ford-applies-for-mach-1-trademark/

Twin Turbo · Oct 24, 2013

Or, playing Devil's Advocate.................Ford don't want anyone else taking the name.

But I hope they do bring back the Mach 1

Sabre · Oct 24, 2013

And that brings us to another possibility: there have been reports stating that Shelby American won’t be involved in the development or branding of the next-generation Mustang flagship. So it could be possible that the Ford-designed and Ford-engineered sixth-gen Mustang range-topper will wear the Mach 1 moniker, rather than the Shelby GT500 name.
All this makes us yearn for the next-generation Mustang that will be unveiled in December that much more.

From my personal perspective....I hope so. The Shelby nameplate has had a good run, but it's time to let Shelby American do it's thing and for Ford to get back to it's own nomenclature. As a 70 Mach 1 was my first Mustang, I would love to have a Gen 6 Mach 1 in a few years!

S550Boss · Oct 24, 2013

Yes, and Shelby had zero to do with the GT500 production Mustang anyway, except licensing his name. So the name meant nothing from an engineering or handling dynamics perspective.
The special edition we've already seen will be expensive - with an unknown engine, and the handling and braking bits (the 295s up front, the extra big Brembos all around), it will cost really big bucks. Not appropriate for the Mach 1 name.
Perhaps the upmarket GT-like Mustang we've seen, with the added larger wheels and front-only Brembos, will be the Mach 1. That won't be very expensive, so it's appropriate.

TampaBear67 · Oct 24, 2013

Ford did the same thing back in 1988 and actually used the Mach 1 name on a very limited number of '88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupes. They were Offered in Two Colors, Titanium Silver and Bright Red. The only thing other than their Color that made them different were the small Mach 1 Decals (Identical to the Mustang's Mach 1 Decals of the 60's & 70's) mounted on either side behind the front wheels.

Mriley · Oct 24, 2013

Trademark filings can be dubious. While the Mach 1 moniker could very well make a return eventually, the filing could reflect an intent to use for other purposes beyond vehicles. It does list a whole bunch of other goods and accessories.

I might have mentioned this in another post but I remember earlier this year I came across a similar Model T trademark filing made by Ford and filed this year. Who knows what they are going to be using that for but it certainly won't be for a vehicle. Same goes for this one I think.

Herr_Poopschitz · Oct 24, 2013

I believe GM has done the same w/ 'El Camino'. Doesn't mean squat.

Callie · Oct 24, 2013

S550Boss said:
The special edition we've already seen will be expensive - with an unknown engine, and the handling and braking bits (the 295s up front, the extra big Brembos all around), it will cost really big bucks. Not appropriate for the Mach 1 name.
Perhaps the upmarket GT-like Mustang we've seen, with the added larger wheels and front-only Brembos, will be the Mach 1. That won't be very expensive, so it's appropriate.

Yea the Mach 1 can't be the range topper. It doesn't fit at all with the spirit of name and its historic positioning in the Mustang line up. If they bring it back it would slot between the GT and the next higher performance model (GT350 probably).

The situation is really shaping up to be like the late 90s/early 2000s. You have a discontinued 302 and a newly built SVT Cobra and a big gaping hole in performance and price between the GT and the Cobra. In comes the Mach 1 in '03 (preceded by the Bullitt) to provide some mid-range performance models for those who want more than a GT, can't afford the SVT variant, and want a special edition Mustang with great heritage.

Yes please.

Twin Turbo · Oct 24, 2013

S550Boss said:
Perhaps the upmarket GT-like Mustang we've seen, with the added larger wheels and front-only Brembos, will be the Mach 1. That won't be very expensive, so it's appropriate.

I like that idea............a GT with Track Pack and some other goodies......call it Mach 1 and it can fit nicely between the GT and GT350.

Oh, and give it HIDs as standard :lol:

S550Boss · Oct 24, 2013

Twin Turbo said:
I like that idea............a GT with Track Pack and some other goodies......call it Mach 1 and it can fit nicely between the GT and GT350.

Oh, and give it HIDs as standard :lol:

Right on!

FordBlueHeart · Oct 24, 2013

Make it a Drag Pack rather than a Track Pack.

Dirk McGurck · Oct 24, 2013

Twin Turbo said:
I like that idea............a GT with Track Pack and some other goodies......call it Mach 1 and it can fit nicely between the GT and GT350.

Oh, and give it HIDs as standard :lol:

S550Boss said:
Right on!

I would rather it be an actual model different from the GT. No more historical names becoming tape packages.

The 2003/04 looked great, and had a real performance boost besides an intake and wheels. Let's have that kind of jump from model to model.

ThunderHorse · Oct 24, 2013

In my opinion ford needs to stop playing musical chairs with their model names and develop something more uniformed that can be used across various generations. Base, ST(inline 4), GT, GT350(Race car), GT500(grand coupe).

Josh Painter · Oct 24, 2013

ThunderHorse said:
In my opinion ford needs to stop playing musical chairs with their model names and develop something more uniformed that can be used across various generations. Base, ST(inline 4), GT, GT350(Race car), GT500(grand coupe).

Agree. In addition, I'd like to see FoMoCo give the base Mustang a model designation, because, "base" is about as uncool as it gets. Ford could brand it GS since Mercury doesn't need the that badge anymore. Except in this case, it could be an acronym for "Grand Sport" instead of "Grand Sedan." A little pretentious? Sure, but all model names are pretentious to some degree. And with 300+ hp and better performance than many past GT models, the car would have a legitimate claim to the designation. A much better claim, IMO, than the Explorer has to the "Sport' trim-level moniker.

Rob · Oct 24, 2013

Twin Turbo said:
Or, playing Devil's Advocate.................Ford don't want anyone else taking the name.

But I hope they do bring back the Mach 1

I wonder who would try and rip it off. When it comes to cars the term Mach 1 automatically conjures up the Mustang. Putting Mach 1, on any other car would probably cause laughing and pointing more than anything else.

Mach 1 trademarked by Ford

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