Ford to Introduce Next Generation Mustang with Limited Edition 2014 1/2 Models

The first Ford Mustang was introduced at the New York World’s Fair on April 17th 1964 and it has often been speculated that Ford Motor Company would introduce the new S550 Mustang exactly 50 years to the day. With the 2014 New York Auto Show media days landing on April 16th and 17th, Ford has the perfect backdrop in which to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Mustang on the exact same day 50 years after the world met the original pony car.

The biggest dispute leading up to the debut of the next generation Ford Mustang was whether it would be a 2014 or 2015 model year vehicle. When the original Mustang debuted in dealerships back in 1964, it was sold as a 1965 model year vehicle even during those months in 1964 where it was sold. While these first Mustangs had a VIN that ended with a 5, they were technically 1965 model year vehicles but they are often referred to as 1964 ½ Mustangs. Regardless of what you call them, those Mustangs sold just after the 1964 World’s Fair unveiling were the original Mustangs and those are the cars that Ford is looking to commemorate with the launch of their newest Mustang on the S550 platform. What better way to do so than to issue another “half year” Mustang?

The 2014 Ford Mustang is already available on the Ford website so pretty much everyone had guessed that the next generation Mustang would debut as a 2015 model year vehicle but this piece of insider information from Mustangs Daily contradicts that idea. Should this report be correct, the S550 Ford Mustang will debut in mid 2014 (presumably right after making its grand debut at the NY Auto Show) as a 2014 ½ Mustang. Only 1,000 examples of the redesigned Mustang will be sold under the 2014.5 model year and each of them will feature a special VIN and a unique build number. Of course, we can also expect these Mustangs to pack a huge dealership markup as hardcore collectors line up to get their hands on the unique 50th anniversary Mustang built on the new platform. This means that not many “regular buyers” will end up daily driving a 2014 1/5 Mustang but this also means that when the 2015 model year Mustangs arrive on the new platform – there is less chance of them being snatched up by collectors who also drive the prices through the roof. In short, the 2014 ½ Mustang will effectively hurt the collectable nature of the 2015 Mustang, thus making them easier to get without a huge dealership markup shortly after being introduced.

Provided that Ford Motor Company follows tradition – introducing the 2014 ½ Mustang on April 17th 2014 at the New York International Auto Show and making them available for order on that same day – we would guess that the 2015 model year production would begin as soon as those first 1,000 2014.5 model year Mustangs and built. This means that the 2015 Mustangs would be available by late summer to those buyers who actually plan on driving them. This will also allow Ford Motor Company to run the 2015 Mustang through a longer sales year, thus boosting sales for the 2015 model. Ford did something similar in 1964 and 1965 and it paid off big time – Ford sold almost 560,000 Mustangs in 1965. Of course, the change in the auto industry wont allow Ford to near the half million units mark for the mighty Mustang but this plan should help the Motor Company get a leg up in the battle of the modern muscle cars.

Source: Mustangs Daily