Mercedes Benz

DETROIT — After 10 million vehicles over 54 years, the Mustang remains one of the most vital nameplates in Ford Motor Co.'s stable. It's Exhibit A for what the Ford brand wants to stand for: bold, emotional designs that elicit passion among its customers. The rest of its cars lack that cachet, which is why, after the Fusion sedan disappears from showrooms early next decade, the Mustang effectively will be Ford's last car standing as the brand shifts to a lineup dominated by pickups and utility vehicles. Now, Ford is trying to re-create that Mustang magic in its crossover and SUV lineup. One vehicle in particular, a yet-to-be-named battery-electric crossover, was heavily inspired by the Mustang; Ford floated the name Mach 1 for it this year, though the production version is likely to get a different moniker. "It's core to what people see Ford as," Carl Widmann, the Mustang's chief engineer, told Automotive News . "We wanted a vehicle that would draw pe...

DETROIT — After 10 million vehicles over 54 years, the Mustang remains one of the most vital nameplates in Ford Motor Co.'s stable. It's Exhibit A for what the Ford brand wants to stand for: bold, emotional designs that elicit passion among its customers. The rest of its cars lack that cachet, which is why, after the Fusion sedan disappears from showrooms early next decade, the Mustang effectively will be Ford's last car standing as the brand shifts to a lineup dominated by pickups and utility vehicles. Now, Ford is trying to re-create that Mustang magic in its crossover and SUV lineup. One vehicle in particular, a yet-to-be-named battery-electric crossover, was heavily inspired by the Mustang; Ford floated the name Mach 1 for it this year, though the production version is likely to get a different moniker. "It's core to what people see Ford as," Carl Widmann, the Mustang's chief engineer, told Automotive News . "We wanted a vehicle that would draw pe...