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I feel the same way about my '01 Corvette. I expect it to last me a long time! In retrospect, I'm also a little sorry that I let go of my '96 Camaro, but I wasn't happy with the long-term prospects of dealing with the 'Opti-Spark' distributor, so I let it go, in 2015. Had I waited for the '98s to come out, with the LS engine, I probably would still have it.
I think we are just losing our car culture over time. In the 1930s and 40s it was all elegance and leaps in technology. The 1950s were about style. The 1960s were about power. We survived the 70s oil shock. I thought we were done when it seemed all cars would only be FWD.
Then the horsepower wars resumed around 2003 and we were back off to the races. That was mostly because Baby Boomers raised in the 1960s wer now older and finally had the money for toys.
Todays young Americans are fine with disposable appliance and people movers as long as they are comfy, have premium sound systems, and are loaded with tech. Performance and style have gone in the trash can, sacrificed on the EPA alter of CAFE standards.
It sucks. I am glad I was born when I was. Well, 10 years younger would have been nice. It would have been fun to have purchased a 5 year old Shelby GT back in the day.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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While I don't like the look of it, especially the rear. The dash and steering wheel are horrible. I'm glad that at least the 5.0 V8 is still available, and now with 480 horsepower. I have the 5.0 in my F150 but being older it was only 385 horsepower. I agree that young people today don't care as much about cars, but at our local high school you will see a few Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers among the Lexus and Teslas. When I go to a swap meet it's mostly older people like me.
I got to drive one. It's not bad. Would take some time to grow on me.
For me, perfection was achieved with the '18-23 model. I love the look and the cockpit in those, but dislike the MT-82. Probably target a Mach 1 if not one of the Shelby models.
I've got a few Mustangs in the garage so I'd have to sell off one or two to make room. I think it's time to make the upgrade.
The dash layout with the screens doesn't bother me so much. I like the tech, and i like how computized new cars have become (Easier diagnostics IMHO with a proper bidirectional scan tool). The rear taillight treatment I think is the worst part of the car, but I could learn to ignore it.
Best part is the 480HP 5.0 (or 500HP on the Dark Horse). I drove a regular GT and it still has that nice rumble and attitude which makes it fun to drive. The Mustang Mach E has been a sort of necessary evil to keep the V8 alive in the Mustang lineup.
To me, every mustang after 1967-1968 was a styling mistake. I once owned a yellow '66 Mustang fastback w/ V8 and 4 on the floor. It would be worth a fortune now. Talk about a chick magnet back in the day!Unfortunately, my best friend had a '66 GTO w/ the same setup and he could beat me every time.
But to properly answer your question, the earlier Mustangs were the result of one man, Lee Lacocca. Cars used to be largely designed by one person, and glitches like the dash you mentioned would never have happened if one man had designed the car. Today, cars seem to be designed by board meetings, focus groups, bean counters, and by imitating other cars.
Agreed! My first car was a used 1965 Mustang, 3-speed, straight 6 (250) and I got a cheerleader to go on a date with me probably because she liked my car!
When I flew off to college, my father sold that '65 for a profit and -thinking he was doing me a favor- bought me a newer Ford Maverick. I did eventually forgive my father, on his deathbed!
I think the real question is, what happened to Ford? The only car left is the Mustang (in the US - the Focus still exists in the UK, WITH a stick! They call it a hot hatch. Calculating if I'll be alive when they are legal to import....)
To me, every mustang after 1967-1968 was a styling mistake.
I completely disagree. I've had 3 1970 Mustangs, a 302 Sportsroof that I autocrossed, a '70 Mach 1 drag racer and a '70 BOSS 302. All really good looking cars. I had an '80 Cobra that I put a 460cid big block in.
And my favorite to drive and look at, my '06 GT convertible:
I completely disagree. I've had 3 1970 Mustangs, a 302 Sportsroof that I autocrossed, a '70 Mach 1 drag racer and a '70 BOSS 302. All really good looking cars. I had an '80 Cobra that I put a 460cid big block in.
And my favorite to drive and look at, my '06 GT convertible:
On a more serious note, we/you should be glad that Ford is still producing Mustangs, unlike GM, who killed the Camaro/Firebird, and Dodge, who is killing the Challenger....
Granted, I haven't been paying attention to anything 'Ford' for probably 10 years, but I was a happy Mustang owner for several years, and have always kind of regretted swapping off my '12 GT. Thought several times since that maybe I'll get another one eventually... but I happened to see a '24 GT Premium yesterday. All I can muster up is, "What in the actual hell were they thinking"??
Never a fan of the Camaro from the doors rearward since the 2010 re-launch, but my immediate thought walking up on it was, "OMG, it looks like a Camaro from the doors back." And then I saw the ginormous electronic/infotainment screen in place of any semblance of a dashboard.
Understanding that some folks might like it, and Ford doesn't give even a teensy tiny chit what I might think, I'd like to heard what some other old dudes think of this refresh.
To me the end of real gauges and switch to Ipad dash has ruined cars. Nobody is going to want to source/repair those dash panels in 20 years.
I have never owned a pony car but the last 10 years was quite a ride from HP to model offerings. I think a GT500 convertible would be the keeper.
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