Why Ford is keeping the Mustang

[G_Money_FL]

I had a 1993 Probe GT in silver. It was a fun car.... I remember it came with Goodyear Eagle VR50's. I thought that was pretty cool....

I went from a 1991 Foxbody 5.0 to a 1994 Probe GT. I liked it, but I wish today's "slap a turbo on anything" tech existed back then.

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[Twin Turbo]

Actually the Probe was never intended to "replace" the original mustang, but to be an additional variant. As far as I remember (it was explained to me a few years ago by someone that was really close to that). There was a plan to sell both Mustang Foxbody and Probe as "Mustangs", but different kind of "mustangs".

I've never heard that before. As far as I know, the Mustang was scheduled to become front wheel drive with a transverse inline 4 or V6 engine. Once word got around the Mustang faithful let their voices be heard, and the Fox platform became the Fox4......and the '94 Mustang SN95 was born.

This is referenced in some detail in the film "A Faster Horse"

 

[Nomadic]

I'm bummed the Fiesta and Focus are gone. I had both in the past and enjoyed both.

 

[Ebm]

The article makes perfect sense. Ford is to America as Ferrari is to Italy as Jaguar is to England. It's an icon here.

A few days ago, I was driving to a strip mall(shopping center) and was right in front of the store at a stop sign. There were people walking from the parking lot to the store right in front of me. I don't know whether this kid heard my car or saw it first, but his face said it all. "Mommy, mommy! Look it's a Mustang!" My car has no pony badge in front and our cars don't say Ford or Mustang on them anywhere. Just a GT badge on the back that the kid didn't even see because he was walking in front of my car, and the 5.0 badges on the side of the car. The fact that a kid that was only 10 or 11 years old can spot a Mustang just by looking at the body style says a lot. Mustangs stick out from the rest of the crowd. You don't hear a kid saying the same about a Focus or a Fusion.

 

[Twin Turbo]

The article makes perfect sense. Ford is to America as Ferrari is to Italy as Jaguar is to England. It's an icon here.
.

Yeah, we Brits sold Jaguar to you guys, and then you sold it to the Indians (who, ironically, now make the best Jaguars ever!)

But I digress. Mustang is, indeed, an icon. Even here in England the kids can recognise a Mustang and, whilst they're not exactly cheap here, they turn as many heads as a Ferrari

 

[EcoVert]

The article makes perfect sense. Ford is to America as Ferrari is to Italy as Jaguar is to England. It's an icon here.

A few days ago, I was driving to a strip mall(shopping center) and was right in front of the store at a stop sign. There were people walking from the parking lot to the store right in front of me. I don't know whether this kid heard my car or saw it first, but his face said it all. "Mommy, mommy! Look it's a Mustang!" My car has no pony badge in front and our cars don't say Ford or Mustang on them anywhere. Just a GT badge on the back that the kid didn't even see because he was walking in front of my car, and the 5.0 badges on the side of the car. The fact that a kid that was only 10 or 11 years old can spot a Mustang just by looking at the body style says a lot. Mustangs stick out from the rest of the crowd. You don't hear a kid saying the same about a Focus or a Fusion (added) camaro.

I added the camaro part

 

[Houston Kid]

I am about to watch the video but I would guess it is because it is profitable. If it did not make Ford money I don't think they would hesitate to axe it regardless of what it means. It has to make money.

Now I will watch the video and see what they say.

Well they say it's just too important to drop. I bet if it was not profitable, it would be dumped.

 

[dgc333]

I went from a 1991 Foxbody 5.0 to a 1994 Probe GT. I liked it, but I wish today's "slap a turbo on anything" tech existed back then.

It did over at Chrysler. Every model but the trucks was available with a 2.2 or 2.5 turbo. A friend of mine used to thrive on embarrassing all the 5.0s at the Friday night test&tune at the local strip with his short wheel base Dodge Caravan with a moded 2.2 turbo. The van ran in the 12's. It was amazingly easy to get the turbo Omni's and Daytona's into the 10's.

 

[GT5150]

This is why:

 

[Zelek]

This is why:

Hell, I'd drive that around car shows if I fit in it as an adult! That's awesome.

 

[Norm Peterson]

idk about brand loyalty. I am not loyal at all - I buy the whatever is the best bang for the buck. Many people my age do this with everything.

Brand loyalty and brand recognition are two distinctly different things. Even people you couldn't pay to step inside a Ford showroom know what a Mustang is.

I have a Mustang now, but I doubt I will in 10 years.

I want to be able to buy things that last a lifetime, like my grandparents were able to do.

Your second point there may apply to some products - home appliances come to mind (last I knew, the freezer my Dad bought in the 1940's was still running and in use by my sister, and I've got a transistor radio I bought in the 1960's that still gets a few minutes of daily use). But I wouldn't include cars on that list, having owned cars built in the 1950's and early 1960's.

To the other point, doesn't that depend on whether you bought your Mustang with the conscious understanding that it was only going to be temporary ownership? That you might only be marking a few years' time in it until the next "latest and greatest" thing was out?


Norm

 

[Norm Peterson]

The original push rod engines like the Windsor were designed to last a quarter of a million miles. The last 5.0 lasted me 18 years and 234,000 miles (375,000km).

I suspect that the longevity of the pushrod engines of the past is tied more closely to not needing to develop the same levels of specific power (make the engine bigger instead of keeping it the same and upping the BHP/L), not being run at temperatures quite as hot (emissions, thermal cycling), and being allowed to be somewhat heavier (cast iron, rigidity). They just weren't normally being stressed very much.


Norm

 

[Zelek]

My 10 year old Belgium built Mondeo has much better build quality than my brand new US built Mustang.


To keep the Mustang going I'd build them in Belgium. Poor US build quality has been hidden from the rest of the world but with the success of the Mustang worldwide we see why you Americans all buy Asian cars.

Funny you say that. Those Asian cars are built by Americans. Pretty sure it's their QA standards versus what American car company QA standards are is where the disconnect is.

I've seen what some of Chrysler's QA looks like. Stay away..... Actually, run away. One of their bulletins for the Jeep Renegade said that the factory ignition wiring can be crushed when the engine is placed in the bay, lol.

 

[Rickycardo]

It's like this

 

[tranceporter]

I am about to watch the video but I would guess it is because it is profitable.

Bingo. The only reason that matters

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