‘Sweetheart of the Supermarket Set’, was just one of the advertising campaigns used when the Ford Mustang was first released more than sixty years ago. Early marketing campaigns heavily targeted women and research at the time showed that female car owners were one of the segments growing most quickly with the number of female drivers increasing by 53% between 1956 and 1963.
Ford’s awareness of this, combined with the marketing campaigns, resulted in 42% of the first Mustang buyers being female. The Baby Boomers were coming of age and the Mustang was the perfect car at the perfect time and on March 2, 1966 the one millionth Mustang rolled off the assembly line at the Dearborn Assembly plant.
Mustang has become the longest running nameplate in Ford’s history and now the seventh-generation incarnation has been released in Australia. As a tribute to these classic Mustang shapes, you will find at the base of the rear windscreen, a silhouette of each of the Mustang generations. Over the years the number of Mustang’s sold to women has reduced, with approximately 20-25% of buyers in the USA now being women and in Australia it’s just 15%. But if my daughter is anything to go by, the appeal to young women is still as strong as ever.
Mustangs have always been built for fun and over the decades the iconic Mustang has evolved, but one constant has always remained, the V8 engine. According to Laurie Transou, the Global Chief Program Engineer for Mustang the V8 engine will remain as long as the regulations allow it to. When the Mustang was first released the V8 sales outnumbered the V6 two to one. Now it’s a 50:50 split between the V8 and EcoBoost in the USA and for Australia just under 88% of sales are V8 Mustangs.
The new Mustang is available in three models – EcoBoost, GT and the all-new Mustang Dark Horse. The EcoBoost is powered by a 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine, while the GT and Mustang Dark Horse feature a 5.0-litre V8 under the bonnet.
EcoBoost is available with a Fastback body style only and will open the 2024 Mustang line-up at $64,990 and it’s the most aerodynamic Mustang ever. The updated 2.3L EcoBoost engine is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission only.
The GT is available in Fastback with a six-speed manual ($77,002) or ten-speed automatic ($80,902) transmission, which 70% of Australian buyers go for. The GT is also offered as a convertible body style ($86,752) exclusively with an automatic transmission. All prices are excluding on-road costs.
Paired with a six-speed manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, the fourth generation Coyote 5.0L V8 engine powering the GT has been revised with dual 80mm throttle bodies and air inlets which work together to maximise power. A dual-fuel delivery system works to deliver high-pressure direct-injection and low-pressure port fuel injection, increasing low-end torque and high-rpm power. The maximum power available is 345kW @ 7,250rpm and maximum torque is 550Nm @ 4,750rpm. MagneRide adaptive suspension is available as an option on the GT and can ‘sense’ oncoming pot-holes and mitigates their impact and is designated by red painted Brembo brake calipers.
All Mustang series feature the Active Valve Performance Exhaust which helps reduce back pressure and is designed to help improve power whilst also providing Mustang’s signature deep growl. Controlled via the steering wheel or centre-stack touchscreen, drivers can select from four modes: Normal, Sport, Track and a Quiet mode, each offering a signature rumble. The Quiet mode ensures the exhaust valves are set to be closed during a pre-selected timeframe so that the Mustang doesn’t wake the neighbours.
The 1,000 examples of the special edition Mustang Dark Horse available in Australia are already sold out, so keep an eye out for these unique Mustangs on our roads soon. Power from the 5.0L V8 engine has been increased to 350kW @ 7250rpm and the 550Nm of torque is available at 4,850rpm in the Dark Horse, 100rpm higher than GT. The Dark Horse is capable of doing the 0-60mph dash in just 3.7 seconds!
The Dark Horse is the first new Mustang performance nameplate in 21 years and 60% of owners in Australia have opted for the special Blue Ember paint colour. The Dark Horse features the first-ever forward facing horse on the emblem on a Mustang and the sinister look of the emblem is replicated across the Dark Horse’s exterior styling.
Appearance is everything and the seventh generation adds modern chiseled looks to its heritage-inspired design and every panel apart from the doors have been re-designed. Its low, horizontal brow emphasises overall frontal width, while the upper grille shape is influenced by the original 1960s design. Its sleek roofline and broad sprinting stance are also true to the authentic proportions of the first generation, while the widened rear haunches point to the power over the wheels in true Mustang style.
Behind the chiseled exterior lies the most technologically advanced, driver-centric cockpit of any Mustang to date. The 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster can be customised to display different animated designs and new drive-mode dependent visuals. You can even select the dash design of previous the Mustang Classic ‘67-‘68, Mustang Fox Body ‘87-‘93, or the Mustang SVT Cobra ‘99-‘01. These graphics are based on the same Unreal Engine 3D creation tool used in modern video games. Laurie’s favourite is the Sport Cluster, but as her first ever car was a Fox Body Mustang, she has a soft spot for that cluster as well.
This digital instrument cluster flows seamlessly into a 13.2-inch centre stack behind the same piece of integrated glass, angled towards the driver. All Australian Mustang models also come with an advanced B&O Sound System, providing crisp audio through 12 speakers including a subwoofer.
The level of customisation was always an important attribute of the original Mustang and it’s still the case with this seventh-generation version. In addition to the engine options, customers can choose between 12 striking colours that can be paired either with a GT Appearance pack that includes black with grey over the top stripes and unique GT spoiler or a Black Pack that includes black badges, roof, mirror caps, and wheels. Recaro Sports Seats can only be optioned with the Black Pack.
In 1964, the Mustang won the Tiffany Gold Medal for Excellence in American design awarded by Tiffany & Co, the first automobile ever to do so. Since the beginning, women have been at the heart of the Mustang’s success story because nothing can compare for a girl’s love for her pony.
You can now Build & Price your seventh generation Ford Mustang online or visit your preferred Ford dealer for more information. Stay tuned for the full review of the new Mustang coming soon!
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.