2014.5 before 2015 mustang?

[Ricky35]

It would be an interesting twist if the anniversary edition is actually the last of the S197s. If they are looking for a nice tribute to the original Mustang, that would make some sense given the retro styling going out the door after this, but Ford seems to want to drum up as much excitement as possible, and they wont be doing that for another version of the same body.

I'd be surprised if they make the 50th anniversary model out of the current generation. It's too much marketing gold to *not* launch a whole new generation of Mustangs with a 50th anniversary s550 model. No way they miss out on this IMO

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[Mriley]

Ford Possibly Working on 2014.5 Mustang For 50th Anniversary

Dec 17, 2012
By: Nick Dasko

The Ford Mustang has enjoyed uninterrupted production since its debut as 1964 1/2 model. So it makes perfect sense that a Ford Social Media representative would post on a Mustang forum site about the coming of a 2014 1/2 model.

The rep says "The 2014 ½ will be the 50th Anniversary edition. It will be added to production for a limited run sometime during the year." Now as a limited edition this makes it seem that it could either be the swan-song for the current model Mustang or the debut of the brand-new, global car.

The Ford representative also says that "2014MY order banks are open now...they won’t build until the middle of first quarter 2013." This puts 2014 Mustangs on dealer lots by spring of 2013. This leaves plenty of time for second model year in that same calendar-year for the 2014.5 models.


Now here is where there is some debate around the office. If the 2014.5 is the all-new model, it will be extra-expensive because the development costs are often tied into the first couple of years of sales and doubly so as it is a limited-edition. Also being limited-edition on a brand-new car it would likely be little more than a stickers and stripes package. If on the other-hand, it is the final run of the current cars it would be very well made as all the teething issues would be long gone. Something that is never true of cars in their first year of production. This would also mean it will likely hold its value moderately well as it is the last of the beam-axle Mustangs. If that is the 2014.5 Mustang, we want one!

Yea so it looks like no one knows for sure (not even Ford LOL!).

The 2014 is already out so unless there really is going to be an official half model 2014.5, which Ford has never done to my knowledge, then the anniv will start with the S550. To me, this is what they should have been doing all along, instead of the 2004, 2009, etc.

 

[KZStang]

Trust me it's not as n00b of a question as you may think. Ford math is weird. Everyone knows the actual 50th is in calendar year 2014. But they've chosen in the past to use the last model year to release the anniversary edition (like 2004, the last year for SN95). Which means you can buy one a full year in advance of the actual anniversary. I've always thought this was sloppy and awkward.

Maybe Ford has decided to finally clean it up with 2015? :shrug:

Yes, it's a calendar yr vs. model yr confusion. Ford has simply chosen to use the MY as the anniversary in the past. It's a clever way to sell a car that has grown long in the tooth. Since they have never used the anniversary edition for the first MY of a new platform, I would think we do see a 2014.5.

The 2015 will have enough excitement, fanfare and sales without having to spend the extra costs of offering special 50th anniv badging, colors, interior etc.

 

[NRMStand]

Hold on... you guys arent talking about an official 2014.5 right, as in showing up on your title registration? Because we all know that isnt possible.

Hate to state the obvious but the '64.5 was just common parlance for an early '65 production.

If we're talking a whole new model or brand new editions, it'll be a 2015. Sure, they can offer new stickers, stripes and even anniv packages for a 2014, but it'll still be called a 2014 officially, even if it's produced in the latter half.

 

[Maestro5.0]

I'm curious why the '15 couldnt sell shortly after a reveal if they just gear up for production sooner. I know times are different, but the original pony was available to buy in showrooms the same day it was revealed in NY.

They took orders the same day. They didnt walk out of the showroom with one, that'd be impossible.... They took over 20,000 orders the first day!

 

[SunTzu]

FYI,

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-h...at-worlds-fair

From the article,
"The Ford Mustang is officially unveiled by Henry Ford II at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York, on April 17, 1964. That same day, the new car also debuted in Ford showrooms across America and almost 22,000 Mustangs were immediately snapped up by buyers. Named for a World War II fighter plane, the Mustang was the first of a type of vehicle that came to be known as a “pony car.” Ford sold more than 400,000 Mustangs within its first year of production, far exceeding sales expectations.

Also the very first mustang was actually sold on April 16, 1964. Albeit mistakenly...

"The First Mustang (s/n 0000001) was a Wimbleton White 64 1/2 convertible sold , by mistake, to Capt. Stanley Tucker , an airline pilot, in St Johns', Newfoundland, Canada. It was a promotional car sent by Ford around the country to promote the new Mustang car. The salesman there, thought the car was to be sold and then did so when Capt Tucker showed interest in the car. It took 2 yrs for Ford to get the car back , in exchange for a new 1967 fastback Mustang (1,000,000,001th ). The '64 1/2 now resides in the Ford museum, still displaying the Nfld and Labrador license plates."

 

[SunTzu]

Also per Wikipedia,

The Ford Mustang was brought out five months before the normal start of the 1965 production year. The earliest versions are often referred to as 1964½ models, but VIN coded by Ford and titled as 1965 models with production beginning in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964 and the new car was introduced to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair.

 

[KZStang]

It may be hard to believe, but what SunTzu said is mostly correct. The original Mustang went into production a little over one month before its showroom debut. That first day, it sold almost 22,000 units. I do not believe all 22k were delivered into the hands of customers, but certainly many (or even most) were. From Ford's own history, it sounds like some could not get their hands on one: http://corporate.ford.com/vehicles/ford-mustang-story

The original Ford Mustang debuted on April 17, 1964, at the attractive price of $2,368. Dealers were inundated with requests for the sleekly-styled new vehicle. In Garland, Texas, 15 customers thronged to bid on the same Mustang. The winning bidder resorted to sleeping overnight in his new car so that it wouldn’t be sold out from under him before his check could clear.

Ford initially forecasted annual sales of about 100,000 units. On the first day alone, dealers took 22,000 Mustang orders. Shortly after its introduction, the fledgling vehicle’s success was official when it was featured on the racetrack as the pace car for the 1964 Indianapolis 500. During the Mustang’s first 12 months on the market, sales built to an astounding 417,000. Within two years, sales had catapulted to one million.

It seems incredible they produced such a large quantity so quickly, but consider that by Feb. 23, 1966, Ford produced their one-millionth Mustang. That's a manufacturing pace of more than 40k a month.

1964.5 was a reference to Mustangs built from March 9, 1964 to August 17, 1964. Enthusiasts could've also called these early 1965's. Either way, it was officially an 18 month production of the 1965. It's not just that these were early builds -- on August 17, 1964, Ford closed two of its Mustang plants for retooling and began to phase in new parts for this first model year of the Mustang. Most of the changes are pretty mundane, the biggest one being the switch from a generator to alternator system. Another big difference (for me at least) is that there were no fastbacks produced before this retooling date -- the first debuting on Oct. 1, 1964.

BTW, Iacocca has said many times that the Mustang was named after the horse itself, not the plane, but that's always been a debate about that. Dont always believe Wiki wholesale.

 

[Unchained]

So the 40th was the last of the SN95 right? But that entire year's cars were badged as the 40th anniversary edition werent they?

 

[KZStang]

No - the 2004s wore the 40th fender badges, but not all were the 40th anniv edition packages which were sold as an add-on. They made 5k or so of these packages and included things like special colors, stripes, floormats and wheels. This is the type of thing Ford could easily do for a mid-year anniversary edition IF they did offer one (later this year).

 

[BoostedSVT]

If they really wanted to be consistent, they would NOT release a 2014.5 as the anniversary. They would make the 2014 MY extremely short and introduce the 2015 early (as the 1965 MY was released early) and have it run for 18 months as did the original.

BUT, in order to fix their already screwed up math (choosing to celebrate calendar years instead of model year anniversaries), they would have the MY 2014 run for 18 months and introduce and celebrate a normal MY 2015 intro in the late summer/fall 2014 period.

 

[Calypso]

If you look at Ford's competition, it doesnt have a ton of time to sit on the s550. The new z28 will be available in spring 2014 and unless Ford plans to do an early 2015 release, it's going to lose out on sometire kickers walking into chevy dealers and seeing brand new gear by then. I would think they cant afford to do an 18 month cycle with the 2014 unless they're prepared to have sales get crushed end of this year and into next yr.

 

[crazyfastfreddy]

i doubt like 4 months gonna make any differance. . ford will prolly make more money from selling the rest of the s197 on the old platform then it will selling the s550 at first on new platform. so it makes sense for them to do what they can to push the last of them outta the door.

 

[DJ]

Why woud they make more from teh s197? Prices are going to start falling on them once the new car is revealed and the 2015 is going to be more expensive for sure.

 

[Robinson]

Also per Wikipedia,

The Ford Mustang was brought out five months before the normal start of the 1965 production year. The earliest versions are often referred to as 1964½ models, but VIN coded by Ford and titled as 1965 models with production beginning in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964 and the new car was introduced to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair.

Sounds perfect for a 2014 NY auto show debut for the 2015 Mustang then. That's in April too.

I call for a Mustang6g members meet trip to NY in APril 2014 for the reveal :cheers:

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