FORD MAKES CASE FOR PASSION AND PROFITS

FORD IS PERHAPS the world’s most famous car brand, but many of its recent decisions reflect unemotional business logic rather than automotive passion. The Fiesta has gone, the Focus is on its way out, and the Blue Oval has stealthily become an SUV and commercial vehicle maker.

But there is one glorious exception: the Mustang, which will soon be the only ‘traditional’ car in its European line-up. So it’s encouraging to hear boss Jim Farley (p6, 32) insist that the muscle car has a bright future, possibly with more variants at all price points.

His passion for the Mustang is clear (what’s the business case for racing a classic on the fearsome Goodwood circuit?) but the key is that it is a profitable part of Ford’s line-up, and a true brand-enhancing halo car. There’s a reason Farley compares it to the 911.

It feels like there’s a growing divide between the automotive mainstream – all those big SUVS and wheezy, efficient powertrains – and true enthusiast cars. But that might be no bad thing: it gives engineering freedom to make the latter better. And the better these cars are, the more the business case will stack up.

Car firms may be guided by business logic but the likes of Farley show that it needn’t come at the expense of passion.