Mustang stampedes toward future
2022 model carries on fun-to-drive tradition.
Since April 17, 1964, the Ford Mustang has been in existence and ascended to nearly iconic status nearly instantly. The 2022 model year is part of the sixth generation of Ford’s iconic pony car. And with the introduction of the all-electric Mustang Mach-E and the electrified future of the industry, there was uncertainty about whether this might be the final generation of the Mustang as we know it.
My tester week is the 2022 Ford Mustang, with the 2.3-liter four-cylinder Ecoboost. Some would argue it’s barely a muscle car as such. That is irrelevant for this review and discussion. What is of note for this week’s column is that Ford lent me this pretty Mustang, wearing a Mischievous Purple paint coat, to drive to Detroit to cover the North American International Auto Show and, even more significant, the reveal of the seventh-generation Ford Mustang.
The event that ran in parallel to NAIAS was called the Mustang Stampede, and enthusiasts from all around the country ascended on Motor City to see what the seventh-gen Mustang would look like. All in all, the reviews of the 2024 Mustang are positive, as it will remain an internal combustion (ICE) muscle car, without any mention of electrification or a hybrid engine.
So it wasn’t lost on me to get to drive this “run of the mill” Mustang up to the event. All Mustangs, even four bangers, are fun to drive, as they were intended to be. Additionally, as a
Mustang historian and author of the book “Mustang by Design,” I always pay close attention to things like the headlights and the taillights to see how those design elements change and hold up generation after generation.
For me, nothing is more iconic than the three-slash headlights and taillights. Those were key design elements on the original Mustang, as designed by my friend Gale Halderman (and subject of “Mustang by Design”). Gale’s design cues still were evident on the 2022 Mustang, which is mostly unchanged from the previous model year. But why