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New Ford Mustang A Flop

Yankee automakers sometimes take the brunt of the criticism for manufacturing models that are hideous, pointless, or downright deadly. Ford has had its share of beasts thru the years as well as many winners including the current Mustang for which demand can’t be met. For the thrill of it let’s have a look at some of the Ford models that have been derided down thru the years.

Model T - What?! How can the automobile that introduced mass production make the list? Well, the automobile was fine, but Mr. Henry Ford’s statement, “…you can have any color you need so long as long as it is black” has been attributed with the upward thrust of General Motors [who gave its buyers a choice in colors] which finally unseaetd Ford as the top automaker in the globe. No, the Model T was fine, but Mr. Ford’s advertising strategy was not.

Edsel - In September 1957, Ford launched a new division - Edsel - and introduced to America one of the most peculiar looking vehicles. Carrying a “horse-collar” formed grille - some compared it with a toilet seat - the Edsel line was hyped by Ford and defied by buyers resolutely. Expecting to build 200,000 Edsels in its first year of production, only 63,000 were built. Other “radical” aspects of the Edsel included a “floating” speedometer that glowed upon reaching a specific speed and an awkward push button transmission with controls attached to the hub of the steering wheel. Even with a quick makeover finished in time for the next model year, the Edsel limped along only to be pulled one month after the third model year autos were released.

Pinto - Hey, even I owned one! With a 2.3L inline four cylinder paired with a four speed manny tranny, the Pinto was Ford’s answer in the 1970s to the attack of Jap autos flooding the market. The compact rear wheel drive coupe, three door hatch, or lorry sold fairly well till disaster hit: the revelation the Pinto’s gas tank was capable of exploding during a rear impact frightened buyers away. Mercifully pulled after the 1980 model year; replaced by the favored Escort.

Mustang II - Ford tainted the Mustang name during the 1970s with this forgettable and ugly model. Resembling a swollen and stretched Pinto, the Mustang II was weak, poorly made, and an awful rival against its arch rival, the Camaro. All was forgiven by the early 1980s with the return of a newly designed Mustang. Today’s Mustang, on the other hand, is a sold-out success story as it took its styling cues from a Mustang of another time : the fastback autos of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Before you point your finger at Ford, don’t forget to recall some really unmemorable models, foreign and domestic. The Toyota Truck was panned for its hideous styling and for having an engine that needed to be dropped from the engine bay in order to do a tune up; the Chevy Vega - a Pinto wannabe; AMC’s Pacer - the Jetson’s car; the Suzuki Samurai and Isuzu Rodeo - flip over specialists; the Yugo - a thinly redone 1960s age Fiat ; and numerous other vehicles not worth the mention. You hope that automakers learn from their mistakes, but do not count on it. Perhaps in another generation we are going to see a very unmemorable Ford show up, except for now there is not one in the line up…hooray for that!.

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