ASKING FORD WHY CALLED IT A MUSTANG?

[VoodooBoss]

Interesting video but a bit long. You can skip ahead to about the 5 min mark if you're short on tyme.

 

[302BOB]

I didn't even watch this video....Ford is cashing in on the Mustang Name and hoping for the best...All of us know what a Mustang is......so good luck with their sales pitch...........................................

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Everyone needs to at least listen from 5 minutes on..........might ease some concerns and answers some of our questions.

Key word is passion, and their acknowledgement of this feeling should open some minds. With Mr. Palmer going on a tangent about possible performance mods and after market upgrades, gotta make gearheads rejoice!

 

[Grant 302]

Key word is profit

Fixed that for you.

 

[TMSBOSS]

When you are in business, is there a difference?

 

[Bill Pemberton]

With 18 Dealerships ( 3 of them are Ford ) , just being around for many years I have been lucky to know quite a few folks at various manufacturers and I agree profit is always the key ( with any business ). The individuals I respect and feel a kinship to are the ones whose internal focus is driven by passion, hence the best term I heard in the video.

For those lucky enough to participate at the Mustang Roundup in a small town in Central Nebraska ( Hastings ), it is very apparent there are quite a few folks that are extremely passionate concerning all things Mustang. We all have it on TMO, and this is a positive, I believe, we can take away from the direction Ford is viewing with the Mach E. Again , my personal opinion, but you don't see the Blue Oval making a Bolt ------they are making a Lightning Colt!!

 

[TMSBOSS]

I have never seen a Bolt or Volt "In the Wild" Only a few Boss Mustangs outside mustang events.

Ford is linking the name Mustang with what appears to be a performance capable electric car. About Time!!

Passion does often lead to Profits when the public want what you are passionate about. Uncertain Ford could have made a more passionate connection then linking the Mustang name with a EV that can perform.

Range of the EV and the two 2019 Mustangs I have bought will make an EV out of the question for me for a couple of years. Although you can bet I will be taking the "New Mustang" for a test ride ASAP.

 

[Grant 302]

but you don't see the Blue Oval making a Bolt

Reminds me about a discussion I had over breakfast this weekend: Why not use a historic Ford name like Thunderbolt?

 

[TMSBOSS]

Thunderbolt may be a little "Too Historic". How many of us, folks that love cars, remember the Thunderbolt? I was 3 when they hit the drag strips.

 

[blacksheep-1]

Donk E

 

[blacksheep-1]

Key take away..
"Can you tow with this"
"The demographic in the US didn't reflect that"
"But europeans had a tow requirement, they hauled bikes, tents"
(not exact quotes)
So you can tow your lawnmower..

 

[MaxFord]

Interesting video but a bit long. You can skip ahead to about the 5 min mark if you're short on tyme.

Passion or not, it's NOT a sports car. It's an SUV, not a Mustang. Bad marketing, in my view.

 

[TMSBOSS]

At 12.6 in the 1/4 mile that’s one fast “SUV”.

 

[yotah1]

Interesting point MaxFord, so now, let me take that same thinking and apply it to your 2008 GT : in the eyes of an old muscle car enthusiast, is it still a Mustang? Because, well, it weighs in at roughly 3500 lbs stock... Go talk to Shelby and tell him your "sportscar" weighs that much, back in 1965, and we'd see what his answer would be...

Mach E is an answer to a need for a specific time. Just like the Mustang 2 was another answer to another need at a time when big blocks and stupid horsepower with zero handling was all but inadequate.
Have you driven one? Sat in one maybe even? I have to admit I myself would not buy one because I prefer my GT350 and it is simply not the product I need right now, but for anybody who wants an EV daily driver with some good looks, decent performance and handling characteristics that actually reward the driver instead of being flat and boring to drive, I'll take the Mach E over any other EV in the same price range today, without even thinking about it twice.
It's never been marketed as a sportscar by the way, it's clearly presented as a Mustang electric SUV.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

I still applaud Ford Marketing because humans hate change, but I have every belief that in future years you will find the Mustang as a separate brand vehicle................yes , separate like Lincoln.

It has taken years but as I mentioned before the uproar at Porsche was every bit as severe with their uber passionate patrons, but now the SUVs are taking the brand to new heights. They made a commitment pretty early and the Taycan is already outselling the 911. If Ford will continue to build the legendary Mustang ( i.e. with a V8 , manual , etc. ) with a supporting cast of SUVs, EVs, etc. I am all for it, if it will drag the Pony Car President into the future. Marketing wise using the name is a brilliant move , especially since the majority of Mustang owners are not rabid as we are. We are the 10%, the influencers to the masses, but 90% of our fellow owners just cruise on a Sunday.

10 years from now if there are 3 Mustang EVs, a Mustang 4x4, and a classic Mustang V8 I will be happy. We can not stop change anymore than we could when they added catalytic converters to cars in the 70s. What is so ironic is all the screaming we made also energized the Automotive Engineering Genius to succeed, improve aero, improve mileage, improve safety, and the pressure to transition again has me believing " Fast Times " are still coming.

I want a hybrid with huge HP, long distance capability and sizzling handling. We thought something like this would never happen during the 70s and look at us now --- 700 HP cars available to the masses. Optimistic there will be dynamic machines to drive in the coming years, especially with guys like Mulally at Ford, Kuniskis and Giles at Stellantis , and others. There are so diehard car guys at some of the major corporations now, performance will not be going away in my estimation.

 

[MaxFord]

Yotah1, focusing on your key words, "EV daily driver," "decent performance" and so on, what makes an SUV a Mustang? I talked to Carroll a few times and I don't believe he would have conceded that the two vehicles are synonymous just because they both have good performance, or just because they're both heavier than my '66 GT350.

Bill, why not call the SUV version simply "Mach E" and why did it require the Mustang brand?

I'm not convinced, regardless of performance.

 

[blacksheep-1]

Yotah1, focusing on your key words, "EV daily driver," "decent performance" and so on, what makes an SUV a Mustang? I talked to Carroll a few times and I don't believe he would have conceded that the two vehicles are synonymous just because they both have good performance, or just because they're both heavier than my '66 GT350.

Bill, why not call the SUV version simply "Mach E" and why did it require the Mustang brand?

I'm not convinced, regardless of performance.

Because the Mustang is an iconic name, the car was named after the legendary P51 of WW2 lore, now Ford is simply whoring out the name and it's history to sell cars. The future, in general is all SUV, or possibly crossovers, no one is really buying cars anymore except enthusiasts like us. This is why the CAFE standards were so important, for every SUV or musclecar, that Detroit made money on, they had to give away about 20 turdhoppers that got 40 mpg and they made 10 cents on. Going electric will basically replace the CAFE standards and it's a win win, Detroit gets away from the CAFE standards, sell cars, and the Feds get to bend everyone over on a tax per mile basis. The only losers are the enthusiasts, and folks who don't have the wherewithal to go out and buy new cars.
Remember cash for clunkers?
who made out?
Those folks that would've bought a new car anyway
Who lost out?
Those folks who couldn't afford to buy new and now had no, or a limited market.
This is also going to virtually destroy the aftermarket, including mom and pop small businesses that are used to maintain and modify these vehicles.
Government always pulls this garbage, they are the last people on earth that need to be involved in any business venture.

 

[TMSBOSS]

To think Ford produced the Mach E Mustang with the idea of taking cash from a Dem administration is likely a stretch.
Would you turn down cash for a project you are already heavily invested in? Not sure I can blame Ford for this.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

We have become a Country who likes to blame things instead of analyzing even while the Engineering and Design by Ford was done many, many years before. In the 31 years I was in the Automotive Business I was very privileged to get to know a lot of folks who were newly hired Reps, Engineers, Designers, etc. and many of them are at the top rungs of the big 3 today.The fun thing was getting inside info on coming product, knowledge only because I kept my mouth shut, but product changeover was easily a 4-5 year process. I can easily state Ford was way ahead of Stellantis and on similar footing to GM with battery technology - both of whom had things in the works, but the pace was not as scaled up as it is now. Consumers demanded Trucks and SUVs and Ford, Chevy, GMC, and Ram obliged, but there was intense work even then towards more Electrification. Somehow folks have forgotten about the solid Hybrids Ford had , the public just was not ready yet , but more and more are now viewing EVs and Hybrids. Not surprising to me , the bulk of the interest is from a younger buyer than may be typical on this site, but not all of them are just wanting plebeian transportation, hopped up EVs are quite interesting to the plug and play generation. Rambling , but lets just say Ford , GM , etc. were not just awakening to this situation, they were getting ready and their timing may be spot on, imho.

 

[Ludachris]

I'd just like to see how the market reacts to the EVs without any tax credits or rebates from federal and/or state governments. I see demand for them, but how much of that is artificial because of the rebates? Tough to tell.

I think people who were likely to consider the Mach-E would buy it without the Mustang nameplate. I understand why they did it, I just don't think they needed to.