Ford is thrilled with the growing global sales of its 60-year-old, petrol-powered Mustang and is considering introducing a new range of “authentic” combustion-engined variants, potentially including a four-door model for the first time in its history. Jim Farley, appointed Ford CEO in late 2020, has been revitalizing the company’s model range and sees the Mustang’s global success as a significant achievement for the brand.
During the annual Goodwood Members’ Meeting, Farley stated, “We will never build a Mustang that isn’t a Mustang,” dismissing the idea of a “small, two-row Ford SUV with a Mustang badge stuck on it.”
He emphasized that other body styles, including “a four-door or whatever,” could be considered Mustangs as long as these cars retain “the performance and attitude of the original.” Farley further asserted, “One thing I can promise, however, is that we will never make an all-electric Mustang.”
This raises questions about the Mustang Mach-E crossover and its status as a “true” Mustang. It seems Farley was referring specifically to the current Mustang two-door range and potential future derivatives. Despite ruling out a fully electric Mustang sports car for now, a hybrid Mustang might be on the horizon. Farley mentioned that the company has been testing hybrid drivetrains for the Mustang, stating, “Partial electric powertrains work well for performance drivers.”
While Ford is open to investigating new directions for the core Mustang brand, Farley promised that Ford would continue producing Mustangs with V8 engines and manual transmissions “as long as God and the politicians let us.” He believes that Ford can sustain the V8 engine longer than specialist brands by offsetting the emissions of its eight-cylinder models with a broader range of pure electric cars, vans, and pickup trucks.
Farley hinted at future Mustang derivatives that will surprise people, although they may not be as extreme as the 600kW, $300,000 Mustang GTD revealed late last year. However, one area the Mustang pony car is unlikely to explore is off-roading. Farley expressed doubt about pursuing a path similar to the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, saying he’s “not so sure” it would be wise for the Mustang to go in that direction.
Farley stated, “When we decided, in around 2015, that Mustang should go global – with righthand drive and other expensive changes – it looked like we were taking a big risk. But it has paid off. Nowadays, some of our biggest dealers are in countries like Sweden and Australia. I’d say Mustang’s future has never been brighter.”
