17 replies to this topic

[Madlock]

Although this lends no clarity as to whether the 50th Anniversary 2014 MY vehicle will be S197-based or derived from its successor, it's interesting nonetheless.

GENEVA -- Ford Motor Co.’s design studios worldwide will provide styling ideas for an American icon: the next generation Mustang.

“It is a common process we [now] use on every vehicle,” Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president for global product development, said today at the Geneva auto show.

Ford’s next-generation pony car will be the first Mustang with styling themes proposed by studios in Europe, Australia and other regions. Previously, Ford’s U.S. studio was solely responsible for Mustang design.

“When we embark on a new product, particularly one that is all new, it involves all of the studios. Then J [Mays] and the design team pick the best of those themes,” Kuzak said. Mays is Ford’s global design chief. Ford adopted the global design approach three years ago.

Kuzak did not say when the redesigned Mustang is due. However, industry sources say the new sports coupe will debut in the 2014 or 2015 model year.

While the final styling theme might come from outside the United States, he said, Ford’s Dearborn, Mich., studio will have responsibility to turn the selected styling theme into a production vehicle.

Kuzak said the new Ranger pickup is the latest example of product cooperation undertaken by Ford’s studios.

“The Ranger was done by the Australian studio with input from the European studio,” Kuzak said during an interview at the show. The Ranger is the first global Ford vehicle designed by the Australian subsidiary.

The Ranger pickup was introduced last year and will be sold outside North America beginning later this year.

Kuzak said the Mustang “is not just an icon in North America, it is an icon globally.”

Ford has conducted Mustang clinics in Asia and Europe. He said men and women within a wide range of ages were shown photographs of celebrities and asked, which person represents the Mustang?

The No. 1 person selected was Steve McQueen.

McQueen appeared in the 1968 movie “Bullitt,” which included a high-speed chase sequence involving a Mustang driven by McQueen on the hilly streets of San Francisco.

[SGT0225]

Madlock, on 01 March 2011 - 07:57 PM, said:

Although this lends no clarity as to whether the 50th Anniversary 2014 MY vehicle will be S197-based or derived from its successor, it's interesting nonetheless.

GENEVA -- Ford Motor Co.’s design studios worldwide will provide styling ideas for an American icon: the next generation Mustang.

“It is a common process we [now] use on every vehicle,” Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president for global product development, said today at the Geneva auto show.

Ford’s next-generation pony car will be the first Mustang with styling themes proposed by studios in Europe, Australia and other regions. Previously, Ford’s U.S. studio was solely responsible for Mustang design.

“When we embark on a new product, particularly one that is all new, it involves all of the studios. Then J [Mays] and the design team pick the best of those themes,” Kuzak said. Mays is Ford’s global design chief. Ford adopted the global design approach three years ago.

Kuzak did not say when the redesigned Mustang is due. However, industry sources say the new sports coupe will debut in the 2014 or 2015 model year.

While the final styling theme might come from outside the United States, he said, Ford’s Dearborn, Mich., studio will have responsibility to turn the selected styling theme into a production vehicle.

Kuzak said the new Ranger pickup is the latest example of product cooperation undertaken by Ford’s studios.

“The Ranger was done by the Australian studio with input from the European studio,” Kuzak said during an interview at the show. The Ranger is the first global Ford vehicle designed by the Australian subsidiary.

The Ranger pickup was introduced last year and will be sold outside North America beginning later this year.

Kuzak said the Mustang “is not just an icon in North America, it is an icon globally.”

Ford has conducted Mustang clinics in Asia and Europe. He said men and women within a wide range of ages were shown photographs of celebrities and asked, which person represents the Mustang?

The No. 1 person selected was Steve McQueen.

McQueen appeared in the 1968 movie “Bullitt,” which included a high-speed chase sequence involving a Mustang driven by McQueen on the hilly streets of San Francisco.

I hear it will be smaller than it is now, and have an IRS.    I don't like.

[Al G.]

I hope the Mustang never takes on a European look.  In my opinion most European or Asian cars are ugly.

[shelby001]

Already started look at the rear of the 10` & 11`

[SHELBYCS6]

shelby001, on 02 March 2011 - 08:39 AM, said:

Already started look at the rear of the 10` & 11`

Hey !!...stop lookin at my butt..lol

[SGT0225]

SHELBYCS6, on 02 March 2011 - 08:41 AM, said:

Hey !!...stop lookin at my butt..lol

The 2nd gen. GTO was designed and built in AU.  (2003-04)

Look how much it looks just like a honda civic.

BIG mistake.

[ilmor]

What we do know from this is that the current Mustang will be the last Mustang, at least for the foreseeable future, that will be uniquely American.  It is moving to a "global" platform.  The Mustang is an American icon, and I hate to see this happen.  Ford should keep the Mustang all-American, or at least as much American as it is, because too few things are anymore.  I don't like this whole "global" thing; it only serves to diminish the USA as a great and exceptional country.

[springer]

Sounds like 1994 again.  For those that don't remember, Ford had some off-the-wall front wheel drive Mustang in the works that they thought about bringing into production until all the USA Mustang clubs convinced them otherwise.  The sales of Mustangs overseas is minimal compared to USA sales.  Minimal at best.

I wonder if Carroll Shelby was in any of the photos of the celebrities who best represent the Mustang!  If not, I think Steve McQueen was a good pick.

[Madlock]

ilmor, on 02 March 2011 - 05:09 PM, said:

What we do know from this is that the current Mustang will be the last Mustang, at least for the foreseeable future, that will be uniquely American.  It is moving to a "global" platform.  The Mustang is an American icon, and I hate to see this happen.  Ford should keep the Mustang all-American, or at least as much American as it is, because too few things are anymore.

You write as if "America" has that luxury - let alone the auto industry.  You know what's a FAR bigger tragedy than a failed model?  A failed maker.  But we've already decided to not have those - and in so doing, we've rendered one successful maker moving forward on the strength of its product and business sense into three shaky ones, largely for the sake of continuing to subsidize the status quo that sunk it in the first place.

I have no doubt the platform will ultimately benefit - from a performance perspective.  Ford is actually known as the world's best-handling mass-market brand, and what it managed to pull-off with S197 is DESPITE the chassis, not because of it.   What WOULD be tragic is if Ford forgoes Mustang's unapologetic American visual styling - at least to North America.  Skin for Europe and Asia whatever appeals to them - so be it.

The underlying platform will underpin at least Mustang, probably a Lincoln product, at least one Ford Australia family (Falcon/G-Series) and can give Ford a credible 3-Series/C-Class/A4 Competitor for Europe.  For the difference from the 4,500 units each month Ford sells of Mustang worldwide, give me a model that allows Ford to compete more effectively and efficiently as possible - particularly as Ford has to now content with GM who has used the opportunity given it to return to the practice of buying market share - which will come at the expense of every other maker who must compete with them.

If the successor sells well - and profitably, how well it drives will only be a bonus.  But whatever GT500's successor happens to be will have to come from within those boundaries.

[Denstang65]

ilmor, on 02 March 2011 - 05:09 PM, said:

What we do know from this is that the current Mustang will be the last Mustang, at least for the foreseeable future, that will be uniquely American.  It is moving to a "global" platform.  The Mustang is an American icon, and I hate to see this happen.  Ford should keep the Mustang all-American, or at least as much American as it is, because too few things are anymore.  I don't like this whole "global" thing; it only serves to diminish the USA as a great and exceptional country.

+1

[350GT'12]

ilmor, on 02 March 2011 - 05:09 PM, said:

What we do know from this is that the current Mustang will be the last Mustang, at least for the foreseeable future, that will be uniquely American.  It is moving to a "global" platform.  The Mustang is an American icon, and I hate to see this happen.  Ford should keep the Mustang all-American, or at least as much American as it is, because too few things are anymore.  I don't like this whole "global" thing; it only serves to diminish the USA as a great and exceptional country.

Completely agree.

[Madlock]

ilmor, on 02 March 2011 - 05:09 PM, said:

What we do know from this is that the current Mustang will be the last Mustang, at least for the foreseeable future, that will be uniquely American.  It is moving to a "global" platform.  The Mustang is an American icon, and I hate to see this happen.  Ford should keep the Mustang all-American, or at least as much American as it is, because too few things are anymore.  I don't like this whole "global" thing; it only serves to diminish the USA as a great and exceptional country.

You know, I could agree that America has been both great AND exceptional, but about the only ways she's been particularly great AND exceptional is in the extent to which the current generation of Americans have actively squandered-away virtually every iota of birthright their forefathers sacrificed to earn.  There's precious little about America today (or being American) that shows any sense whatsoever of any of the responsibilities their "rights" are predicated upon.

America's "patriots" are, by and large, hometown fans.

[svttim]

With the current ppl at Ford, Fear not. The Mustang lives

[richard m.switzer]

Madlock, on 01 March 2011 - 07:57 PM, said:

Although this lends no clarity as to whether the 50th Anniversary 2014 MY vehicle will be S197-based or derived from its successor, it's interesting nonetheless.

GENEVA -- Ford Motor Co.’s design studios worldwide will provide styling ideas for an American icon: the next generation Mustang.

“It is a common process we [now] use on every vehicle,” Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president for global product development, said today at the Geneva auto show.

Ford’s next-generation pony car will be the first Mustang with styling themes proposed by studios in Europe, Australia and other regions. Previously, Ford’s U.S. studio was solely responsible for Mustang design.

“When we embark on a new product, particularly one that is all new, it involves all of the studios. Then J [Mays] and the design team pick the best of those themes,” Kuzak said. Mays is Ford’s global design chief. Ford adopted the global design approach three years ago.

Kuzak did not say when the redesigned Mustang is due. However, industry sources say the new sports coupe will debut in the 2014 or 2015 model year.

While the final styling theme might come from outside the United States, he said, Ford’s Dearborn, Mich., studio will have responsibility to turn the selected styling theme into a production vehicle.

Kuzak said the new Ranger pickup is the latest example of product cooperation undertaken by Ford’s studios.

“The Ranger was done by the Australian studio with input from the European studio,” Kuzak said during an interview at the show. The Ranger is the first global Ford vehicle designed by the Australian subsidiary.

The Ranger pickup was introduced last year and will be sold outside North America beginning later this year.

Kuzak said the Mustang “is not just an icon in North America, it is an icon globally.”

Ford has conducted Mustang clinics in Asia and Europe. He said men and women within a wide range of ages were shown photographs of celebrities and asked, which person represents the Mustang?

The No. 1 person selected was Steve McQueen.

McQueen appeared in the 1968 movie “Bullitt,” which included a high-speed chase sequence involving a Mustang driven by McQueen on the hilly streets of San Francisco.

the next mustangs should look morelike the 71 - 73 fastback mustangs ,,but what do I know,,  2011-ford-mustang-GT-front-three-quarter-promo.jpg   18.07K   7 downloads  

Edited by richard m.switzer, 05 March 2011 - 04:14 PM.

[kryptonite]

I had read that Ford will not be doing a "retro" look for the 2014.

http://www.autoguide...esign-boss.html

Edited by kryptonite, 07 March 2011 - 08:01 PM.

[richard m.switzer]

kryptonite, on 07 March 2011 - 08:01 PM, said:

I had read that Ford will not be doing a "retro" look for the 2014.

http://www.autoguide...esign-boss.html

this is what I am hoping for  2014_5_Mustang___GT500_Blue_by_MDominy.jpg   65.55K   35 downloads  

[socalwrench]

Richard, that kind of reminds me of the "Muscle Machines" diecast cars. Remember those? They always had exaggerated looks.

[socalwrench]

BTW, we've been discussing this like crazy on the mustang source --> 2014/2015 thread

Attached is my best guess at the moment. Ford is using several design studios for the next model, and Navano had this posted.

Attached Files

•  2015 mustang concept.jpg   33.52K   22 downloads

Edited by socalwrench, 26 March 2011 - 02:29 PM.