Why the Ford Mustang Still Rules in a Changing Market
The next time you see a new Ford Mustang, look closely. It won’t say “Ford” or “Mustang,” nor will it have a blue oval or a chrome name badge that’s become synonymous with the brand.
But, you’ll just know that you’re looking at a Mustang. Why?
The Ford Mustang is a classic, national symbol and is currently the best-selling sports car in the world.
During its first full year on the market, Ford sold more than half a million Mustangs in North America in 1965. It’s also been one of the most flexible sports cars – available in a wide range of performance, price, storage, and seating options.
The Mustang’s popularity is one of the major reasons why Ford is keeping the model while dropping the majority of its other car models in favor of SUVs and SUV-like vehicles.
According to Ford, the Mustang and the upcoming Ford Focus Active will be the only passenger car models it will keep in the North American market. The Ford Focus Active will debut in 2019 and is a crossover-like hatchback.
The company will continue to offer its full range of trucks, SUVs, and crossovers, but by 2020, almost 90 percent of the Ford line in North America will be “trucks, utilities, and commercial vehicles.”
Shifting from cars to utility vehicles will be a larger profit driver for the company that has already reallocated nearly $7 billion of research funds from cars to SUVs and trucks. This news from Ford is an indicator of the changing North American car market.
Bloomberg reports that when gas is cheap, Americans fall back in love with trucks and SUVs because “bigger beats smaller, cheaper and fuel-efficient.”
General Motors will even stop production of the Chevrolet Sonic by as early as this year and is planning to discontinue the Chevrolet Impala in the next few years.
Leave a comment