LAST HURRAH FOR MUSTANG MUSCLE-CAR?
FORD has put out a powerful and pumped-up new V8 petrol-engine Mustang — which may mark the end of a legendary era.
The 5.0 litre muscle-car is launched as a GT coupe and convertible of about 500hp but is likely to be the last hurrah for what environmentalists believe is a dying breed of fossil-fuelled dinosaurs.
Ford has already made much of plans for greener motoring — not least its all-electric Mustang Mach-E crossover.
The ‘old-school’ Mustang made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show last week. Described as the most digital Mustang ever, it comes with either a six-speed manual or ten-speed automatic gear-box. Driving modes are: Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Track and the personalised Individual setting.
The original Mustang came out in 1964.
In 2018 Ford celebrated continuous production of the ten-millionth car.
The first car officially off the line as ‘001’ was a convertible in Wimbledon White. Ford supplied a similar model for the 1964 Bond film Goldfinger, while Steve McQueen drove a Mustang in a spectacular car chase in 1968’s Bullitt.
It is also immortalised in more than 50 songs, most notably Mack Rice’s R&B classic Mustang Sally.
Ford CEO Jim Farley said: ‘Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the business of internal combustion vehicles.’