It’s Time for a 4-Door Mustang
4 Doors? Why Not. It’s time for an Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus – even Porsche, Competitor.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It’s time for a 4-door Mustang.
A 4-door Mustang – Why Not?
All American automobile manufacturers are stuck in a rut. They’re looking out at the marketplace and merely parroting what everyone else is doing – except at Mustang. But even in this exciting brand, it’s been the same old, same old since 1964. And the problem with that is that while Pony Cars are exciting, the market is very, very defined – and tight.
But there are hundreds of thousands of newer buyers who – since the 90s – want to have their cake and eat it too – they want Mustang performance and 4-door versatility. Take a look at how many Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and even Porsche 4-door performance cars there are now. And right under our nose is a car that could quickly enter that market and win thousands of buyers.
The Mustang line – as in the 2-door is unique among all Ford products – including Lincoln. And this is not like the old days when there were plenty of coupes across the entire FoMoCo lines. For now the 2-door only survives in the Pony Car. The following is strong – but like Porsche, for example, there’s enough “likes” to flesh out the line – a 4-door is a natural.
Mustang enthusiasts, before you skin me alive, hear me out. Before you all go on a diatribe, let’s look at the past, present, and future when it comes to our beloved Pony Car.
The fact remains, at Ford (and among all other US brands) that they do not know how to expand their market offerings. They respond to dealer shouts instead of market research. Hell, they don’t even look at other successful brands, except to say, “We can’t do that”. Frankly, right now, Ford only knows how to create trucks, they have become a truck/SUV seller. That does not bode well for Mustang unless . . .
I’m a Total Mustang Fan – and an Owner
Here are last three – The 50th Anniversary sits in my garage now.
First and foremost, I am an avid Mustang guy.
My first was a ’66 Hi-Po Fastback. Next a 68 GT, then an 88 GT, a 1999 Cobra, a 2001 GT, two 2003 Cobras, a 2013 GT – and my present 2015 50th Anniversary convert. I love Mustangs, I breath Mustangs and I’ve modified them and raced them.
I write about them, I venerate the model and its survive-ability. I was struck by the first one I saw at the 1964 World’s Fair. I’ve wrenched them and race-crewed them from back in the day until recently.
This is not about giving up – in my opinion, Ford should build the traditional Pony Car until there’s no one left to buy them.
The Mach-E Made Ford a Brand, not a Model
Before I go further, let’s admit what Ford did by pasting the Mustang logo on that electric SUV was
- Drive people crazy, and most important –
- Create Mustang as a Ford Brand, not a model.
This is important because it now allows Ford to sell other types of vehicles using the popular Mustang name. Mustang has instant brand recognition, and it certainly allowed Ford to launch the Mach-E with more fanfare than if it were named anything else.
If Ford felt it could use the Mustang “Brand” to launch a new vehicle, then Ford accepted that “Mustang” is recognized by the public as a brand. If Ford didn’t recognize this, well then they inadvertently established it, because, now, when people think “Mustang” they now think “Electric SUV” and “2-door sporty car”. That, folks makes Mustang a Brand.
So . . . why not a 4-door sports sedan? It’s a heck of a lot closer to the original than that appliance called “Mach-E”
If this is a Mustang – Then a 4-door can be a Mustang
Ford Needs a 4-Door Sedan
Ford’s last great 4-door sedan – the SHO. This one also sits in my garage.
Second, Ford needs a 4-door sedan to compete with every other brand selling cars in the US. Dropping the Fusion and Taurus, regardless of sales, left a huge hole in Fords line that has not been filled and likely has contributed to sales losses. Worse, where’s the excitement to draw new user/buyers into the showroom? Another special paint on a Bronco? Come on, Ford is slowly bleeding, but they can’t see why they’re dying.
The one market where they could be competitive is in the performance 4-door. Think of the brands that occupy this space, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Jaguar, etc. Of course, you’re going to say that those brands are upscale, how can Mustang compete? Woah, have you seen the price of a new Mustang recently? Mustang is already in this space, but it’s competing on one leg, offering a car to the smallest part of the segment. Ask why Porsche has a 4-door, why Audi dropped their R-8 and why most BMW and Mercedes sport luxury cars are 4-doors. If you want to sell a volume performance car, it likely has to have 4-doors (or God forbid, be a SUV).
It’s Time for “The Unexpected”
Face it, the market has changed since 1964 when the original was offered, again when the Fox body bowed, and certainly since the S550 and 560 have showed up. In ’64 the youth market had just exploded – HUGE timing. In the 80s, performance was suddenly back. Great – Ford capitalized on those trends, isn’t time to do that again?
In this Century, there has always been a niche market for a 2-door performance car – but it’s a niche market. The real market is now based upon 4-doors! It’s time for Ford to do an Iaccoca – and wham, as they said in 1964 . . . “The Unexpected”.
Why not?
The Past Can Beget the Future!
It Won’t Be That Hard To Do
,One of the best parts of unit body construction is that is is much easier to stretch the chassis than with frame type vehicle. Assuming we need to go out 8-12” inches, as far as the running gear goes, you are talking about a longer driveshaft. As far as the body shell goes, roof line, doors and rear interior seating is probably the easiest to create. And the weight penalty for adding the extra wheelbase and sheet metal will be almost meaningless. I’m sure some of the custom shops around could do this in a heartbeat.
As far as model line goes, I’d offer a 5.0 and two 4 cylinder versions; a standard, and a hybrid. This would cover the market and add some REAL EXCITEMENT to the entire Ford line. The beauty of this is that Ford can add a whole new lineup from a marketing point of view – and from a manufacturing and engineering point of view – for pennies.
Let’s Do This!
Jim Farley, and the Ford Family – let’s do this! Let’s do “The Unexpected”. I’ll be the first to line up, I’ll trade in my Taurus SHO for one (and if you’ve driven a SHO, you’ll understand why I’m all over this Idea).
I’m ready . . . are you?