It has taken more than 50 years for the Ford Mustang to go global and that wait may pay off for the Ford Motor Company and consumers in a big way. Ford reports strong interest in its pony car with consumers signing up for test drives, configuring models online, and learning more about the blue oval brand.
Some 51 years after the first Ford Mustang was introduced, America’s beloved pony car has now taken to the world. Largely available only in parts of North America since its inception, the latest generation Ford Mustang is now sold in more than 100 markets worldwide. Thus, people who may have yearned for this model previously with no real ability to buy one are finding that local Ford dealers are now selling the Mustang.
Ford Mustang: Top Sports Coupe
And that new Mustang is enjoying a stronger following in the United States as well as abroad. Indeed, February US sales for the pony car were up by 32 percent to 8,454 units sold and are up 66.6 percent year to date.
Contrast that with the Chevrolet Camaro and the 11,364 units sold for the first two months and it is clear that Mustang has galloped ahead. Fiat Chrysler, by the way, reported sales for its sport coupe, coming in at 9,847 units for the Dodge Challenger.
Consumer Interest Worldwide
The Ford Motor Company has been carefully monitoring global consumer interest in the Mustang and has discovered several important facts based largely on search queries and other tracking factors.
First, Europe has shown much interest in the Mustang as consumers have configured more than 1.1 million Mustangs online. Of course, that number is not indicative of sales, but it does demonstrate the widespread early interest this iconic sport coupe has engendered in Europeans. Indeed, the Mustang will go on sale in Europe by the middle of this year.
Second, Chinese consumers have shown much interest too. More than 18,000 Chinese consumers have registered for test drives and Ford says more than 5 million people have visited the Mustang’s website. The car has gone on sale in China earlier this year.
Third, two color choices stand out as favorites amongst potential buyers. Red and black are the two top exterior color choices that are being considered by potential buyers in most parts of the world.
Color Coordination and Local Appeal
Speaking of colors, white is the most popular color of choice for all vehicles in the United States, but when it comes to the Mustang, black is favored followed by Magnetic Metallic (silver/gray) and Ruby Red.
In China, 35 percent of Mustang orders are for Ruby Red, followed by Oxford White at 20 percent. Coming in at just under 20 percent and in a close third position is black.
European consumers are chomping at the bit for the Ford Mustang’s arrival with Race Red and Absolute Black essentially knotted at 20 percent each. Local results are a bit different with Deep Impact Blue stirring the hearts of British and Italian consumers alike.
One Ford Strategy
The Ford Mustang represents a reversal of sorts for the company’s One Ford Strategy, but in a positive way. That strategy, enumerated in 2008, had six European Ford models planned for the United States market, effectively uniting the company’s footprint across multiple markets. In this example, the Mustang takes a wholly American product and presents a homegrown product to the world.
Ford Mustang photo courtesy copyright Auto Trends Magazine.
That data took a global approach to tracking car finish choices. Globally, white leads with one in four new vehicles adorned accordingly. Silver and black tied for second at 18 percent each followed by gray, red, natural hues, blue and green, the last five retaining the same share of popularity achieved in 2012.
