The Ford Mustang has always been a popular car, but the introduction of the 2005 model really made it the darling of both consumers and the media. Like magic left over from the 1960s, the Mustang contunues to offer owners affordable and classic styling. It's the same formula that has been delighting fans for over four decades.
For 2007, Ford and Carroll Shelby got together again and came up with the remarkable Shelby Mustang GT500. Like the 1967 model, the 2007 GT500 is absolutely stunning to look at, features a whopping 500 horsepower and is a thrill to drive. In early 2007, Ford and Shelby will also introduce another Shelby Mustang, the Shelby GT. The Shelby GT will be more closely related to the Mustang GT, but will come with a wider variety of engine and chassis performance upgrades. Another
2007 Mustang feature car to roll out is the California Special. The "GT/CS" offers a combination of the Mustang GT's 300 horsepower engine with subtle, yet pleasing interior and exterior changes.While Mustang fans are relishing in the car's current success, Ford is already gearing up for the 2008.5 Bullitt. Other nameplates possibly waiting in the Mustang's collection include the Boss, Shelby GT350, Mach1, Twister. . . and on and on. There are so many different Mustangs coming that consumers will have a difficult time picking just one to park in their garage.
Back in 1967, Mustang's were not just limited to special high-performance or feature models though. They also included some swanky paint colors, such as Playboy pink. It's not often that you see a factory painted pink car today and it's very unlikely that most cars would even look good in pink. The Mustang is the one notable exception.
StangsUnleashed.com, a popular Mustang site, points out that Ford will not only continue to make high-performance Mustangs and other feature cars, but will also look to simple solutions to keep the car fresh in today's hyper-competitive market. According to StangsUnleahed, that includes bringing back the iconic 1967 Playboy pink Mustang. While Ford might not elect to pay Hugh Hefner for the rights to use the name "Playboy" for their upcoming pink Mustang, be rest assured that it will be coined as a Playboy pink Mustang by everyone anyway.
Robert Lane from StangsUnleashed said that members of Team Mustang have been talking about a pink Mustang for a long time; however, it was never really championed seriously enough to make it into production. The difference today is that the new Mustang lends itself so well to the classic design of the 1960s that anything from the car's iconic heritage is possible. Moreover, Ford executives are willing to give the Mustang desingers a lot of license since they are making hot products that are the envy of every automaker - not just Chrysler and GM.
Dupont, a major paint supplier to the auto industry claims that people want more unique color choices to better separate their car from the masses. Michael Ureel wrote in the November 13th, 2006 issue of Ford World that "Ford color designers look to a lot of sources and trends to hone in on colors for future models, including the fashion and food industries." Some of Ford's upcoming and current colors include: White Chocolate, Crème Brulee, Dark Cherry, Grabber Orange, Merlot, French Silk, Lime Gold, Orange Frost and Light Sage.
A pink Mustang would certainly fit into Ford's effort to capture more customers by using colors from the fashion industry - what's more chic than pink? Maybe above all though, it shows that the Ford Mustang has a considerable amount of depth within the market place that extends across a very wide spectrum of consumers. How many cars can make that claim?
Davïd Greenville, NC