S550 Documentary : 'A Faster Horse'

[Bullitt0819]

OK, this is old news--published in 2015--but I just came across it on Netflix (Moderator: delete if inappropriate). It's slow--non-Mustang fans won't like it--but, for all the things that ain't quite perfect in our cars it shows the depth and care that goes into creating them. I'm sure many here have seen it, but if you 'came into the fold' in the last few years it could be interesting:

https://artofgears.com/2016/02/09/a...cumentary-on-the-ford-mustang-now-on-netflix/

ps. I've been a Mustang fan since my dad brought home a few when he was a factory rep for Ford circa 1964. My first car was a '66 coupe; I sold Dad's '65 Convertible a few months ago.

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[Twin Turbo]

I have it on DVD.......in fact I have two copies just in case!

It's a brilliant documentary, not just on how S550 was developed, but a history lesson from when the very first Mustang was designed.

I kind of have a connection to the film, too. Friends and I were in Vegas for the 50th celebrations and we went to a gala dinner at Shelby American. The place was packed, but we heard that Parnelli Jones was in the building. My mate and I abandoned our wives and our dinner and went in search of the legendary racer. We found him. He was being filmed for a Faster Horse, so a quick NDA signing later and we were filmed getting his autograph!! However, I have a face for radio, not film, (I'm the one on the right!) so our 5 minutes of fame are still on the cutting room floor

 

[Vlad Soare]

I watched it on Netflix in late 2016 and loved it. At that time I had just ordered a Mondeo, having previously considered a Mustang and having decided against it for various reasons. This film revived my interest in the Mustang and made me regret my decision a bit. I loved it.
When the time came for me to replace said Mondeo, the Mustang was again a contender, and the remembrance of this movie was one of the factors (albeit not a major one) that tipped the balance in its favour.

After getting my Mustang I wanted to watch it again. In the meantime they had removed it from Netflix, so I had to buy it on DVD.

Sadly, this time around it didn't impress me as much as it had four years earlier. This time I found it quite disappointing, to be honest. There's a lot of propaganda and self-praise, just a tiny bit of history sprinkled with a lot of pride from owners of classic Mustangs congratulating each other for owning a piece of American history, and that's about it. Useful as a motivational device, to make you want to go out and buy a Mustang right now, but not much else.

I guess it's one of those films that should only be watched once. Because the first time you watch it you're not paying too much attention; you're just soaking in the general message, enjoying the sight of classic Mustangs, or the occasional glimpses at the assembly line, and so on. The second time, though, you're more critical, without even realizing it. Now that the original effect the movie had on you has started to wear off, you begin noticing that underneath the motivational layer that has previously impressed you there isn't really much else.

 

[Bullitt0819]

That's a fair critique. It's not the type of show I'd watch more than once anyway; I do like the part about the Vietnamese kid who fell in love with Mustangs he saw at an American base and ended up running the program (hear he's retiring--forced?).

 

[RagmopInKona]

Don't have netflix, might have to see if it is on you tube.

 

[TrackMustang]

Doesn’t appear to be on Netflix anymore…

 

[Bikeman315]

Don't have netflix, might have to see if it is on you tube.

Checkout Amazon. Buy the DVD or watch it on prime.
https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Horse...id=1670421011&sprefix=A+faster+,aps,82&sr=8-2

 

[KingKona]

 

[momalle1]

Thanks!

 

[IPOGT]

Wonder if there will be a 2024 even faster horse documentary. Somehow, I doubt it.

 

[paulm1]

Yes i watched a while ago. It was great. I owned a red '70 gt that i had to sell 38yrs ago for college money. Bought a brand new triple white gt ragtop in 1987 when i graduated. Sold that a few years later when i got married. In march i bought a brand new 21 gt 6sp, all black. Its a "faster horse" for sure. The IRS is a game changer, no more pony car, this isca sports car.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Wonder if there will be a 2024 even faster horse documentary. Somehow, I doubt it.

I somehow doubt they could convincingly tell us how much hard work and love and passion they've put into making the handbrake electric, or replacing the dash with a stupid tablet. Or how hard the designers have been working in order to come up with what's essentially the same body, only with different headlights. I mean, they could, but who would buy it?

 

[IPOGT]

They should’ve kept Dave Pericak in charge of Ford Performance. He’s now with EV trucks.
.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Oh, so Dave Pericak isn't in charge of Mustangs anymore? I didn't know that. That explains why the S650 is the way it is then. Pity.

It was his passion that I found most appealing in the movie; it was obvious that he loved his job and really wanted to make a truely awesome Mustang in line with the times. And to be honest I can see and feel this passion when I drive my Mustang. One of the reasons I love it so much is that everything about it makes me feel that it was made by someone who really enjoyed making it. Someone who went out of their way to work around technical difficulties and laws and regulations in order to give us a proper Mustang, not a lame Eurobox with a pony on its nose. I feel Dave Pericak's passion every time I drive it.
A car with a proper handbrake, no stop&start crap, and an exhaust sound to die for... you must be mad to sell that in Europe these days. And yet he did it.
With him gone, no wonder the S650 turned out like it did.

 

[Bikeman315]

Oh, so Dave Pericak isn't in charge of Mustangs anymore? I didn't know that. That explains why the S650 is the way it is then. Pity.

It was his passion that I found most appealing in the movie; it was obvious that he loved his job and really wanted to make a truely awesome Mustang in line with the times. And to be honest I can see and feel this passion when I drive my Mustang. One of the reasons I love it so much is that everything about it makes me feel that it was made by someone who really enjoyed making it. Someone who went out of their way to work around technical difficulties and laws and regulations in order to give us a proper Mustang, not a lame Eurobox with a pony on its nose. I feel Dave Pericak's passion every time I drive it.
A car with a proper handbrake, no stop&start crap, and an exhaust sound to die for... you must be mad to sell that in Europe these days. And yet he did it.
With him gone, no wonder the S650 turned out like it did.

Dave left the Mustang program just after the S550 started shipping in 2014 so it's been awhile. Also Dave had an amazing team working with him that brought the S550 to fruition. I'm sure the team that put together the S650 was every bit as dedicated as Dave's. I'm also willing to bet that many of our original impressions about the S650 will change when the car is actual built and shipped. It always does.

For those of us not around in 2014 need I remind you of the negative talk about the S550. No different now than then.

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