RHD S550 for India

[Tascam]

From Autocar India.... if anyone cares. It is a huge market tho this would likely be very small volume. Still its good to see some American muscle make it to other parts of the world.

Exclusive: Ford Mustang slated for India launch

As part of the Mustang’s 50th anniversary celebration, Ford is introducing a right-hand-drive version in 2014.

Ford is developing a right-hand-drive version of the legendary sports car as part of a 50th anniversary redesign next year. The first Mustang was unveiled at the New York World’s Fair on April 17, 1964, and the carmaker will reveal a heavily revised Mustang at the New York Auto Show on April 17, 2014, exactly 50 years on.

With a right-hand-drive option for the Mustang now available, Ford has plans to market it in right-hand-drive markets like Australia and the UK. Ford is also looking at launching the Mustang in the Indian market as a ‘halo’ product. Currently, Ford’s range in India consists of mainly compact cars and an iconic car like the Mustang could not only give the Ford brand a shove upmarket but also showcase the company’s heritage.

The current generation Mustang is available with three engines, a 3.7-litre V6, the 5.0-litre Mustang GT and the Shelby GT500 that is powered by a 5.8-litre supercharged V8. Ford also sells the Mustang as a drop-top, but it remains to be seen which variant would make it to India.

The company is still evaluating the feasibility of launching the Mustang in India, which with the current duty structure for imported cars would cost no less than Rs. 40 lakh, depending on the variant. If Ford gives the green light, the Mustang could be in a showroom near you by early 2015.

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[Twin Turbo]

I care.

Not just because I'm from England where, for the majority of potential customers (for that, read non-current Mustang owners........we like our LHD!) RHD is a must, but because greater world-wide sales have to be a good thing for Mustang. The better the return on investment, the more will be invested in Mustang going forwards.

 

[BenH]

Cool. Time to make this a global icon and not just an American one.

Ford will face some challenges in India tho, at least with the Mustang. I've been there on business before and Ford will have a lot of the same issues it does with China. There is a strong demand for smaller and lighter vehicles. B segment sub-compact cars are surging there since fuel efficiency and population density is such a big concern. There's also a big divide between rich and poor and the ones that can afford a Mustang will be the ones that care about luxury and brand cachet. There's the have-nots and the ones that drive the Ferraris and Buggati Veyrons there.

So it'll be mostly to capture the niche market that wants some good old American flavor that you don't see every day in that part of the world. Even so, they may have to give it a little more premium look and touch to be successful.

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