This years Goodwood festival of speed was a buzz with some of the most interesting machines to grace tarmac. We had not one, but two, LaFerrari as well as a whole host of legendary racing cars. It really was a vintage year and one that shouldn’t have been missed! However, if like me you are a bit disheartened about missing the show (don’t feel too sorry for me as I was on holiday) we have a fantastic photo gallery coming up. One of the stars of 2014 was the all-new Ford Mustang as the Blue oval let it rip up the hill.
Driven by precision driver Paul Swift, a V8 Mustang gave those famous hay bails something to think about. Roaring past the crowd and wooing passersby whilst stationary, this taster of what will soon hit UK roads is more than enough to get us salivating. Available in the UK as a 2.3 litre 305BHP contender or an almighty 5.0 litre V8, the all-new Mustang promises to appeal to even the most sceptical European pallet. We look forward to snagging the keys and finding out for ourselves in the future.
A lot of big names are celebrating milestone moments this year. You have both the Mazda MX-5 and Land Rover Discovery hitting 25 years, the legendary BMW M5 reaching the big 3-0 and Maserati turning 100 years old. Another nameplate of note that has a big Birthday to mark is the Ford Mustang. This year it is 50 years old and has not only endured, but also become one of America’s biggest selling cars. Obviously the Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition car had to become a reality at some point.
Galloping onto the show floor is the 2015 Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition, a car that will only number 1,964 to honour the year it was produced. Based upon the 5.0 litre Mustang GT fastback, it receives additional chrome trim, lowered three-quarter windows like the original and various special edition badges. Power is boosted via Ford’s performance pack meaning there is 414BHP and 390lb ft of torque on tap. 19 inch alloy wheels conceal uprated brakes. The interior gets unique logos and a new steering wheel.
Although the new Mustang is coming to Europe, it is highly unlikely that this special edition car will ever make it into the UK.
So it is Valentines day and as the rush of men who totally forgot builds in connivence stores everywhere for the purchase of chocolate. Ford came prepared and is way ahead of you on the chocolate and candy front. Using the same advanced 3D printing techniques that are finding their way into the manufacturing of your car, the blue oval has recreated perfect scale replicas of the 2014 Ford Mustang out of chocolate and candy. The four inch ‘stang made from plastic is a work of, whilst the baby one inch chocolate models look like the perfect gift for the petrol head in your life. Check out the video, 3D printers are fascinating things to watch! This is in fact the first scale replica of a car that is edible.
At the glamorous location of BAFTA in London’s Piccadilly Circus, Ford UK held an event to cover everything that went on in 2013 and highlight what is to come in 2014. Whilst campaign was being served and canapés scoffed, I know it’s a hard life, it was clear that Ford had an awful lot to be pleased about. As the presentation began and numerous awards glistened under the lights, the amazing success of the blue oval in the face of an adverse economic climate became apparent.
Ford’s market share in the retail market grew by one percentage point in 2013, this despite industry experts suggesting that Ford would be squeezed by both budge brands and more luxurious cars. Everyone on stage said how “proud” they were of the current line-up with cars such as the Fiesta claiming more awards than we could count. An interesting factoid that came up was that 60% of customers who test drive a 1.0 litre Ecoboost car, a great choice for the Fiesta might we add, go on to purchase one. Something that might give some reassurance to British workers in Ford’s engine plants, what with all the EU political rumblings as the moment, is that 1/3 of all engines that go into Ford cars globally come from the UK and that isn’t set to change any time soon.
Ford has high expectations for 2014. With the lower priced Ecosport SUV coming into play and a recovering market they have every reason to believe that they can build upon their success. The Mustang is also set to join the European range further booting Fords image globally and adding a bit of excitement to their showrooms.
Some people absolutely have to be the first, or one of, to get something. You know the type… The ones that stand in line on day one for a new iPhone or games console. Come to think of it, I am one of those people and so I know sometimes our impatience gets the better of us. We will stand in line at unearthly hours for what we want! Well, the chap who so very badly wanted the first 2015 Mustang has just paid $300,000 for it.
You read the title correctly, the first 2015 Ford Mustang sells for $300,000 at the Barrett-Jackson car auctions. All of the money has gone to a charity called JDRF that is the leading research organisation for diabetes. The new GT fastback is quite the departure from the car it replaces looking very modern and also making its way to UK dealerships for the first time. 2014 marks the 50th anniversary for Mustang and so Ford had to come up with something special. Independent suspension, reworked engine including a new 2.3 litre designed with Europe in mind, and an interior which blend tradition with the modern age. Though Ford has yet to announce pricing for its new pony car, it wouldn’t be a poor guess to say that the first 2015 Ford Mustang has sold for 10 times its retail price. However, the money has gone to the right place and so Ford must be congratulated.
Where has the time gone?! With 2013 almost over and 2014 just around the bend, the boys are back in town to deliver you the final Episode of “the podcast” this year. News of the Lamborghini Huracan, BMW M4 and all-new Ford Mustang make the headlines. As always the latest from the world of WRC is just waiting for you.
The Ford Mustang has to be one of the most iconic machines man has ever created. This American icon has been everything from a movie star to the affordable muscle car that sits in many driveways. 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the pony car and to launch it into potentially another 50 years of lean mean service, there is an all-new model.
Set to launch on 17 April 2014, exactly 50 years after the original car went on sale, the 2015 Ford Mustang is the companies first global car of this nameplate. Developed under Ford’s “One Ford” program that aims to produce a single model that will enter all markets. This new car has had plenty of European influence in its design. Sporting a much sleeker profile than any of its predecessors, the 2015 Mustang looks thoroughly modern whilst still retaining key Mustang traits. Aggressive, bold, yet somehow elegant at the same time. Independent rear suspension, at last, is part of the metamorphosis this car has gone through. The 5.0 litre V8 will make its way to the UK along with a 2.3 litre four cylinder Ecoboost engine with 305BHP. Unfortunately the 3.7 litre V6 unit will not be coming to our shores. A convertible has been confirmed to be on its way.
In 1964 an American icon was born, a machine that would become synonymous with the USA. Stars and stripes, syrup and bacon, route 66 and the Ford Mustang! This pony car is an icon of performance that every blue collared working man can afford. It is literally the American dream on wheels…
Its introduction part way through 1964 started a craze that saw the Mustang become the companies most successful model since the Ford Model A. Sales forecasts from within the blue oval predicted around 100,000 units to be sold in the first year, however, this number was blown out of the water within three months and just 18 short months since its introduction a million Mustangs were on the road.
The Mustang had won its place in the hearts of its home nation and through 5 generations, the 6th is on its way, this car also became a global superstar. Thanks to its racing career and famous partnering with a certain Carroll Shelby, these stallions got leaner and meaner with now legendary names such as BOSS and GT500 being carved into the pages of history. The car also had its fair share of movie outings, most notably as the hero of Bullet in a gripping chase scene through San Francisco.
There is just something about the romance of an American muscle car that sets us petrol heads alight.
The Ford Mustang is an American icon. The muscle car of the blue collar worker has been imortalised over the past 50 years it has been around. Made most famous by the late Carroll Shelby, names such as GT500 are legendary. Don’t go thinking that just because the great man has passed away that the wheels at Shelby have stopped turning, not at all. They have just produced the fastest Mustang there has ever been.
The Shelby GT S/C 1000 could be declared the ultimate American muscle car packing an incredible 1183BHP! All of those ponies come direct from a 5.8 litre supercharged V8 that lives under the bonnet. Capable of over 200MPH, the car is loaded with what is called a “big brake package.” The GT S/C also receives fully adjustable suspension.
Want one? Well write a check to the tune of $154,995 and then add on the cost of a GT500 donor car. Expensive? Sure, but can you put a price on the American dream?
The motor industry fell silent this May at the news that legendary founder of the Shelby marque, Carroll Shelby, had passed away aged 89. Even in his twilight years the inspirational motoring icon remained committed to developing the best high performance cars. Only last year, he spent more than five hours putting the most powerful production Mustang ever through its paces during testing sessions at Ford’s Arizona Proving Grounds. Not one for a quiet retirement then.
Being instrumental in the creation of Ford’s greatest performance cars such as the Cobra, the GT40 and the Mustang since the 1960s, it seemed fitting that Ford, Shelby American and Ford Racing should come together to produce a one-of-a-kind tribute in his honour. The result has finally been unveiled as the 2013 Shelby GT500 Cobra wide-body Mustang which draws on the already considerable power of the 662BHP 2013 Shelby GT500 and turns it up a notch. The special edition gets a suitably colossal Ford Racing 4.0-litre supercharger that now generates more than 850BHP and enormous 13-inch wide rear wheels with high performance tyres to put down the increased power. The specially designed bonnet and new rear wide-body kit are finished in the distinctive blue with white stripes made famous by the original Cobras of the 1960’s, celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.
It seems apt that the new Cobra will be a never to be repeated one-off, mirroring the image of Carroll Shelby himself, who changed the performance world forever.
