Why Is Mustang Losing Sales Race?

NoOp · 2011-06-28T13:52:30+00:00

More views on why the Mustang is losing the sales race...With all the news of the Ford Mustang talking a growing permanent spotof second place in the Muscle Car wars, a lot of mainstreampublications are bagging on the Stang. There is no question that theFord Pony=92s clock is being cleaned by the Camaro, and being stronglynipped at by the Challenger that was once a laughing stock in themarketplace.Many ask the question. Why?Well obviously the Camaro has gravity behind it for a lot of reasonsbut not because it=92s the better car. Image wise, it=92s newer anddoesn=92t have near as much recent baggage in the public arena. Most ofour readers are aware of the all new powertrains in 2011, and the allnew interior Mustang got in 2010 which really raised the bar. But manypeople not reading car magazines or internet publications still thinkof the Mustang as that old rental car with a noisy V6, lame lookingposture and a cheap plastic interior.Add the fact that the Camaro is getting so much TV and movie timelately with Hawaii 5.0 and Transformers you got the whole secondaryinfluence thing going with car buyers. Spouses and kids alike arechiming in at the dinner table about how cool the Camaro is they sawon the big screen. Chevrolet is of course cashing in on this with the2012 Transformer=92s edition and commercials to go along with it.Which reminds me=85=85when is the last time you saw a Mustang commercialon TV? When is the last time you saw a current Mustang placed in amovie or television show? Ford actually had the Mustang 5.0 placed inthe pilot episode of Hawaii 5.0. But for some reason GM played thebetter hand with the TV studios, because the show is wall-to-wallChevrolets now. Someone at Ford didn=92t get the deal done.But really, let=92s look at the car itself. We are Mustang faithful herebut it=92s time to be honest. Yes the platform is getting long in tooth,but the Mustang is every bit competitive to the Camaro in virtuallyevery statistical measure. Most magazines that...

Jun 28, 2011 20 Replies

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You have an argument. I too love/loved the 2005-2009 Mustangs, but after looking at the 2011 side by side with 2005-2009, the '05-'09 look too tame. The '10+ design with the swollen hood/fenders look more muscular/aggressive. (I generally go for the more pedestrian, plainer designs, but I think the newest design (2010+) walks a perfect line between aggressive, yet still subtle. In a sense I think this argument could be better explained this way:

'05-'09 =3D '65-'66 '10-11 =3D '68-'70

A little side story. I just had two guys in a late-model, factory- enhanced, 7 series BMW quickly run up behind me on the highway. They move over to the left lane, run up next to me smile and give ME a thumbs up. Then they just slowly motored past. I think Ford is doing something right if BMW guys are giving Mustangs thumbs up.

Patrick