Jeremiah 29:11

Pretty sad that American companies are losing to foreign competitors as it means a loss of American jobs.

Published August 5, 2006

FORD MUSTANG GT »

Automaker flexes its muscle

Design sports details from original car Ford hopes retro look of the new Mustang will win over drivers.

Didi Tang
News-Leader

The bright orange retro-looking Mustang turns heads in traffic, and its creator is hoping it will turn profits.
Ford was outsold by Toyota for the first time in July and reported $254 million loss for the second quarter.

Models reminiscent of the muscle-car era, Ford officials believe, can be a solution to take back American roads.

"The Asian automakers don't have what we have," said Greg Pawlowski, a Ford product specialist who came to Springfield on Friday with an orange 2007 Mustang convertible.

His visit to the Ozarks is part of Ford's 68-city tour promoting the Mustang with designs from the late 1960s, along with F150 pickup trucks powered by ethanol, and Edge, a crossover model that blends versatility with fuel economy.

Ford isn't alone.

GM and Chrysler are also bringing to the market retro-looking models. GM may bring back the Camaro in 2008, and Chrysler is planning to reintroduce the Dodge Challenger in the same year.

Some consumers appear ready to buy.

Robert Snook of Ozark, who has seven Mustangs, is pondering another one — this time a 2007 model.

"It has the details from the original car (in the 1960s)," said Snook, who was a teenager then. "The headlight feature, the hood, the long-front-short-back appearance."

Such car designs are as much part of Americana as downtown squares, said Snook, president of the Greater Ozarks Mustang Club as well as the director for the Ozark Main Street program.

"It's part of the American heritage," said Snook. "It's the same as the square is important to restore."

Snook is pleased that Ford has been faithful to the original model in redesigning the Mustang.

And technology has made some improvements to it.

This model gets 17 to 25 miles per gallon, compared with 12 to 14 miles in the 1960s, said Pawlowski.

The new model also has the bells and whistles of the new century — it can be equipped with heated seats, satellite radio and MP3 plug-in.

Since the 1964 debut, Ford has sold more than eight million Mustangs, said Pawlowski.

Phil Wiland, president of Direct Retailing Inc. in Ozark, is another enthusiast of antique cars and considering buying a retro vehicle, possibly a Dodge Challenger.

Comparing Mustang with Ford's Thunderbird, which was reintroduced in 2002 but did not regain the popularity, Wiland said being loyal to the original design is a key for success.

"I think what they need to do is to build a car that is appealing not only for comfort but also true to the original design, very reminiscent," said Wiland.

Pawlowski agreed. "(The consumers) want the car the way they remember," he said.

Ford is targeting baby boomers and the young generation for the retro vehicles, said Pawlowski.

While Ford officials believe this line of products will help get the company out of the red, Wiland said he is not sure.

"They're relatively high-price cars," said Wiland. "... I doubt they would recap what (the auto makers have) lost."