19 replies to this topic

[mudmonster]

William Maley
Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com
April 16, 2012

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the next Ford Mustang, due out in 2014, will ditch the retro styling and go with the styling seen on the new Fusion. Sources tell the Journal, the new Mustang will keep shark-nosed grill and headlights.

Why drop the retro styling? Ford wants to attract younger buyers. The group of people who usually purchase a Mustang is beginning to shrink.

Also, Ford wants to take back the sales lead from the Chevrolet Camaro. For the first three months of this year, the Camaro outsold the Mustang by by 1,791 vehicles. Last year, the Camaro outsold the Mustang by 17,811 vehicles - 88,249 Camaros to 70,438 Mustangs.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Click here to view the article

[black-knight]

While I think the WSJ article is rooted in some credibility, I personally wouldn't bet my money on a lot of what Michael Ramsey is saying. In fact, much of his reasoning isn't very substantial. Ramsey cites the declining sales of retro-styled cars as a major factor in Ford's decision, which is bunk because sales of the retro-as-retro-gets Challenger have remained steady at about 35,000 units a year even in the current economic climate.

His example of how sales of the old Volkswagen New Beetle declined over the years doesn't hold a lot of water because that model had been on sale since 1998 and, let's face it, everyone who wanted one had already bought one or two. The car was also never given a substanial exterior, interior, or powertrain overhaul. By the time it was being replaced with the new New Beetle, it was a decade-plus-old design based on a decade-plus-old Golf.

Ramsey's WSJ article isn't so much journalism as it is an opinion piece.

Like I said in the "Mustang Going Global" thread, I think it'll be a mix of traditional Mustang cues — like what you got on the '67 and '68 models — and the Evos concept's surfacing, stance, and size. It won't look like a rear-drive Fusion coupe.

Edited by black-knight, 16 April 2012 - 05:30 PM.

[daves87rs]

Agree with BK...if it picked up those styling cues, it would end up looking like a honda accord or something...

[dfelt]

The Ford and Chevy Retro pony cars have always been loved by young and old. Chevy was late to the party where Ford had always kept the Stang going even during down economy. So with bundling the new Camero with the block buster hit Transformers, you betcha there was allot of pent up demand for Camero's.

I see ford taking what they have and giving it futuristic cues, but not totally ditching the over all body as people relate mustang to this body style.

In regards to Camero, they will have a steller year but I expect things to taper off as demad is fullfilled later this year.

[balthazar]

Dropping the signature, iconic Mustang look would be suicide. Ford would exchange 1 demographic for another. They may even see a hit in volume. If Porsche can soldier the same design (911) for 4 decades, Ford should be able to continue refreshing the current design, ALA Porsche, for at least 20. There is a bizarre mindset WRT American designs that they must change radically every bunch of years, whereas 'design stagnation' as seen from European brands is readily embraced.

[dfelt]

Dropping the signature, iconic Mustang look would be suicide. Ford would exchange 1 demographic for another. They may even see a hit in volume. If Porsche can soldier the same design (911) for 4 decades, Ford should be able to continue refreshing the current design, ALA Porsche, for at least 20. There is a bizarre mindset WRT American designs that they must change radically every bunch of years, whereas 'design stagnation' as seen from European brands is readily embraced.

Totally agree with this, Not sure why Americans feel there has to be total design change. I almost feel this is a stupid Marketing person trying to make their mark on the world and telling companies they need to totally change the design language just to meet their own agenda.

[balthazar]

We've been conditioned to it in this market. Can't say how ridiculous it is to read that a brand new American design is 'getting tired' at 6 months. I've read comment along this line from numerous CTS haters, for example, yet they roll in their own feces over the last 3 BMW stylistic deck chair shufflings. Preferences are what they are, yet it's still laughable.

[cletus8269]

right, cause considering this as the new mustang way back when was such a hot idea right?

[GMTruckGuy74]

right, cause considering this as the new mustang way back when was such a hot idea right?

You're not playing fair, cletus8269, showing the better looking 2^nd gen Probe!! You should have shown the 1^st gen one instead to make your point:



My sister couldn't get the deal she wanted for a brand new showroom model '89 Pontiac Firebird Formula (in the bright blue metallic offered that year), so she headed to the local Ford dealer for a new Mustang and instead came home with a new '89 mid-level Probe model. My best friend bought a brand new '94 Probe GT in black that I thought was a stunner.

Edited by GMTruckGuy74, 18 April 2012 - 09:08 AM.

[balthazar]

^ those are fine for their time, and a modern version would be fine today.
Issue is; neither is a Mustang.

[dfelt]

^ those are fine for their time, and a modern version would be fine today.
Issue is; neither is a Mustang.

Very true, in looking at the boards, it seems many people are very concerned with Ford changing the look of the mustange. Ford needs to be very careful or else they stand to shoot themselves in the foot.

[Cubical-aka-Moltar]

It is going to be interesting... '79 was the last time Ford went for a clean sheet approach w/ no retro cues at all on the Mustang.. Some of the success of the Fox generation may be attributable to how awful the Pinto-based Mustang II was, though.. the '94/99 and '05/10 each have had varying amounts of retro styling, especially the '05 and '10.

[balthazar]

I always felt the it was the '71 that first broke clean; proportions, lack of cues, etc.. Agreed that the '79 was clean-sheet.

Yet, was it not until the 5.0 in '82 that the '79-Gen gained any traction & image?
I'm not sure it was the fact the '79 was a stylistic clean sheet... rather than the Boss returning that made that Gen successful.

Edited by balthazar, 18 April 2012 - 03:05 PM.

[Cubical-aka-Moltar]

I always felt the it was the '71 that first broke clean; proportions, lack of cues, etc.. Agreed that the '79 was clean-sheet.

The '71 was definitely a break from the earlier 3 cycles... the fastback version always looked like a scaled down '70 Torino to me..

Yet, was it not until the 5.0 in '82 that the '79-Gen gained any traction & image?

Yes, it was the '82 GT w/ the 5.0 when the Fox era really took off. The '79 had a 5.0 also, but the turbo 4 got all the attention then.

[dfelt]

Or was it that stupid Carter was in the white house and we had a botched approach to oil and the ability to get from point A to point B?

Thinking back to my days and what people said about mustangs, it never really clicked till the SVT was released based on my experiance.

[SAmadei]

Agreed that the '79 was clean-sheet.

I always felt the pre-'79s had some Mustang DNA, however slight. The '79-93-ish(I forget offhand the ending year for the boxy 'Stangs) really rubbed me the wrong way... I always felt they were too square and sterile, styling-wise. Yeah, I prefer the Mustang II to the boxy Stangs of the '80s.

Of course, I preferred the '79-'82 Capris, anyway.

Yet, was it not until the 5.0 in '82 that the '79-Gen gained any traction & image?
rather than the Boss returning that made that Gen successful.

Hmmm... so it was '82 the 5.0 came back, huh? I seem to recall '84 being the year the 5.0 started getting a lot of attention and the HP wars between the Mustang and the Camaro really got back on track. I recall the '79 Mustangs selling not as well as expected and not getting a lot of attention, especially when the F-bodies were selling at absolutely berserk rates.

[Cubical-aka-Moltar]

Agreed that the '79 was clean-sheet.

I always felt the pre-'79s had some Mustang DNA, however slight. The '79-93-ish(I forget offhand the ending year for the boxy 'Stangs) really rubbed me the wrong way... I always felt they were too square and sterile, styling-wise. Yeah, I prefer the Mustang II to the boxy Stangs of the '80s.

'93 was the last year of the Fox bodies. The Mustang II was a steaming POS.

Hmmm... so it was '82 the 5.0 came back, huh? I seem to recall '84 being the year the 5.0 started getting a lot of attention and the HP wars between the Mustang and the Camaro really got back on track. I recall the '79 Mustangs selling not as well as expected and not getting a lot of attention, especially when the F-bodies were selling at absolutely berserk rates.

The '79 had the 5.0 as an option, the '80-81 had only a 255 V8...it was '82 that they brought back the GT model w/ the 5.0...and by the late '80s the LX 5.0 and GT got a lot of attention...

[A Horse With No Name]

Dropping the signature, iconic Mustang look would be suicide. Ford would exchange 1 demographic for another. They may even see a hit in volume. If Porsche can soldier the same design (911) for 4 decades, Ford should be able to continue refreshing the current design, ALA Porsche, for at least 20. There is a bizarre mindset WRT American designs that they must change radically every bunch of years, whereas 'design stagnation' as seen from European brands is readily embraced.

Could not have said it better myself.

[PurdueGuy]

Personally, I like the look of the current model, but I'm not hung up on retro looks. Make sure it's:

- RWD
- Good looking
- Good performing/handling
- Optional V8

[balthazar]

^ - and still says 'Mustang' from the curb