Ford to unveil Mustang pony car on December 5
BY TERRY MARTIN | 20th Nov 2013
Confirmed for release in Australia, the sixth generation of the iconic pony car will become the flagship sportscar in the Ford range with the discontinuation of the Ford Performance Vehicles brand next year and the demise of all Australian-built Falcon sports sedans by the end of 2016.
While no official Australian launch date has been set for the Mustang, it is expected to arrive here either late in 2015 or early 2016, just months before Ford’s Australian factories close.
Announcing the December 5 unveiling on the eve of the LA auto show in the US overnight, Ford’s executive vice-president of global marketing, sales and service, Jim Farley, said the company had commenced a 15-day ‘Mustang Inspires’ campaign in the lead-up to the muscle-car’s simultaneous unveiling in New York, Los Angeles, Dearborn, Barcelona, Shanghai and Sydney.
“Mustang has come to be much more than just a car for its legions of fans spanning the globe from New Zealand to Iceland and Shanghai to Berlin,” Mr Farley said.
“When you experience Mustang, it ignites a sense of optimism and independence that inspires us all.
“Today, we kick off the countdown to the all-new Ford Mustang. With a new design and greater refinement, world-class power and performance plus innovative new technologies, Mustang is ready for the next 50 years.”Next year marks 50 years of Mustang production.
Over the next 15 days, Ford will post a new short film each day produced by leading ‘Instagrammers’, who have been commissioned to produce a video about what Mustang represents to its fans.
Ford is also encouraging people to share their photographic stories of inspiration using the #MustangInspires hashtag on Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms.
“Everybody has a Mustang story, and the emergence of social media has helped the Mustang community share and connect these personal moments in not just words, but photography and video,” Mr Farley said.
“Mustang is the most ‘Liked’ car of all time on Facebook, with more than 5.5 million fans. There is no better way to build excitement for what’s next than by encouraging even more sharing of the Mustang story through these very personal, emotional mediums.”As GoAuto has reported, Ford Australia’s design and engineering teams were heavily involved in the program for the new-generation model.
Ford’s Asia Pacific and Africa design director Joel Piaskowski, who heads the Australian-based regional design studio, was previously exterior design director for The Americas and led the design program for the new Mustang.
His predecessor, Chris Svensson, who effectively swapped roles with Mr Piaskowski and has been back in Detroit this year putting the final touches on the new pony car, told GoAuto at the Sydney motor show last October that each of the company’s six design studios outside the US had a hand in the project.
“All the studios have been involved in this car,” said Mr Svensson. “It’s one of those programs that we’re so excited about, and we all want to ensure that it is successful.
“It’s going to deliver a stunning, stunning car, and I think you’ll see influences in that car from all of our studios.
“Even though it’s based out of North America, and that’s where the design was executed, I think you’ll see when it’s revealed the influences of many of the other studios throughout the globe.
“The car was done specifically to build on the heritage of Mustang, and I’m sure that the Australian customers are going to absolutely adore it.”
