Ford Mocks Its Heritage With Mustang Crossover

Ford Mocks Its Heritage With Mustang Crossover

Could Ford cheapen the Mustang name any more? Few cars rise to the level of true icons. Sure, there are great cars to drive, but they鈥檙e not necessarily iconic like the Porsche 911, Volkswagen Beetle, and Chevrolet Corvette. When people who don鈥檛 even like cars can immediately recognize these vehicles, you know they鈥檙e something special. The Ford Mustang is just such a car, but Ford seems determined to disrespect that status yet again. This at a time when a classic Ford revival is swelling up, thanks to the rumbling popularity of the Ford v Ferrari movie, the automaker wants to change how the storied Mach 1 will be remembered. If you haven鈥檛 heard, Ford just announced the reveal of the Ford Mustang Mach-E coming up this Sunday. You鈥檙e forgiven if you think it鈥檚 a hybrid or all-electric Mustang coupe, because that鈥檚 what the name should imply. It would be a controversial move, but in a facepalm-worthy 鈥渉old my beer鈥?moment Ford has decided to use the Mustang name and the pony badge on a crossover of all things.

It鈥檚 not bad enough that Ford is raping the Mustang name to slap on this new all-electric crossover so it can go to war with Tesla. Nope, it had to go a step further and also disrespect the Mach 1. Bravo, Ford management. Rumors had been leaking for some time that this vehicle was coming, so it鈥檚 not entirely a surprise. Although, certain leaks claimed the crossover would have styling inspired by the Mustang but wouldn鈥檛 use the pony car鈥檚 name. So much for that. Ford could have picked any other name instead of twisting the Mach 1 into Mach-E, but it went there. The name actually rhymes with "mockery" and has to be more than just a coincidence. This sure feels like mockery of a legend, all in the pursuit of the latest market trend. Ford has sold its birthright for a pot of porridge and that鈥檚 just pathetic.

Of course, with the idiotic decisions James Hackett has been making at the helm of Ford, this is just another in a string of bumbles. Hackett obviously has a tenuous grip not only on the automotive market but also the history of the company he supposedly runs. He certainly doesn鈥檛 seem to understand the Mustang and its die-hard fans, because he's really stepped in it this time. First introduced in the fall of 1968, the Ford Mustang Mach 1 was cooked up to appeal to one group: young automotive enthusiasts. Just like the name suggests, it was built for performance, although not to the level of the Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT500. The Mach 1 had a lot of bravado as well, thanks to styling flourishes like an aggressive hood scoop. Ford used the Mach 1 nameplate for several other performance-oriented versions of the Mustang. It鈥檚 a symbol almost as hallowed as the Bullitt.

Raiding that for a quick cash grab is disgusting, like a child breaking a piggy bank to buy some candy. Some of you might remember the complete outrage when Ford decided it would make the Mustang a front-wheel-drive coupe co-developed with Mazda. It was AutoWeek which first leaked that shocking news and Mustang fans got whipped up into an absolute frenzy. They wrote thousands of letters to Ford management in Dearborn, demanding a real Mustang with real-wheel drive, a V8, and American engineering always be available. What Ford did back then was latch onto the latest trend. In the 1980s it seemed like the Japanese were going to take over the world, especially in the automotive industry. Certain powers inside Ford, reportedly the finance and product planning teams, thought it was time to jump on the bandwagon full force. That included having the Mustang turn Japanese. I don鈥檛 hate Japanese cars: I鈥檝e owned plenty and drive one now.

But the Mustang is an American icon and should stay that way. Thankfully the outrage of enthusiasts convinced Ford to change course. What was to become the new Mustang was released as the Ford Probe and was in no way associated with the pony car. While not a horrible vehicle, the Probe still receives heaps of hate today for what it almost became. Ford narrowly missed selling its birthright for a pot of porridge. What Ford is doing now is latching onto the latest trend. I鈥檓 not saying crossovers aren鈥檛 here to stay. That would鈥檝e been like saying Japanese cars were going to go away after the 1980s. I鈥檓 also not saying electric cars are inherently wrong. But to use the beloved Mustang name, and especially twist the Mach 1 nameplate to use on any crossover is a bad look. It doesn鈥檛 matter how fast the Mach-E is or how much advanced technology it uses.