Ford Mustang 2015 News

The Bonhams & Butterfields auction featured actor McQueen's 1949 Chevy pick-up truck offered for sale for the first time by his widow Barbara Minty McQueen. It sold for $37,570.McQueen died in 1980 and left a legacy of films, many of which included car and bike stunts performed, in large part, by the ruggedly handsome actor. They include the motorcycle chase scene in the 1963 war movie The Great Escape and the car chase through the streets of San Francisco in the 1968 movie, Bullitt, which is considered by critics to the best of all time.The auction included a first special edition Mustang Bullitt presented by Ford to McQueen's son Chad who is a professional race driver. Number 1 in the series and dubbed ‘McQueen 1’, the Mustang is in factory original and unmodified condition and has only 2012 miles (3238km) on the odometer. It was not sold but was estimated to go for up to $85,000.McQueen not only performed many of his own film driving and riding stunts, but also raced cars and bikes and represented America in the International Six-Day Enduro motorcycle event. His 1940 Indian Chief motorcycle used as his ‘Hollywood bike’ and featured on the cover of the book Steve McQueen: The Last Mile sold for $106,450 while his 1919 Indian Daytona twin with FLXI sidecar did not sell but was estimated to be worth as much as $135,000. It may not be a car or bike, but its McQueen motoring credentials are bona fide: a Heuer-mounted stopwatch set, used in the film Le Mans, starring McQueen was sold for an undisclosed price.A spokesman for Bonhams & Butterfields said they could not comment on post-sale negotiations, nor publicise the last bid price on unsold items. "But I'm sure Bonhams would certainly entertain offers from interested buyers," he said.Other celebrity vehicles in the auction included a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz formerly owned by Frank Sinatra which was bought for $131,000 and motoring enthusiast Sam Garrett's collection of 28 American and European cars.Garrett invented the mascara brush by taking a brush used in the maintenance of camera equipment and, together with Max Factor, applying the concept to make-up.His collection includes a 1927 BNC type 110 Roadster, 1935 Brewster Town Car, 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Limousine, 1948 Packard Custom 8 Wagon, 1950 Morgan SS and 1967 Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB. 

What should have been the main attraction in the car world was reduced to a sideshow as the heads of America's Big Three sat down in Detroit on the same day to beg for the billions they need to stay in business.There was plenty of shiny new stuff but all the talk was doom and gloom, even from car chiefs who do not have the same live-or-die pressures as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler."I think it is fair to say this is the worst we have seen," the head of the world's fifth-largest carmaker, Carlos Ghosn of the Nissan- Renault alliance, says as he delivers the keynote speech at the opening of LA '08."And we are not certain. Is this the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning?", Ghosn says of the critical cash crisis which is affecting nearly everyone in the car world.Still, there is plenty of new stuff and news on the strangely subdued stands in downtown LA.The latest Ford Mustang, for a start.And then the world debut of the latest Mazda3 and Lexus RX, the great looking new Nissan 370Z, the updated Porsche Cayman and Boxster, and even a droptop Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4.It's no surprise, either, that some of the special impact in LA is reserved for cars which are chasing the elusive path to a future beyond petrol that satisfies American lawmakers' deepening desire for transport without emissions.The Mini E is the obvious champion, but LA also has the electric Mitsubishi i-MIEV which is likely to become Australia's first plug-and- go volt car, and all sorts of new-and-old battery-powered concept cars from the Big Three and a growing number of hybrid production cars including the Mondeo-sized Ford Fusion.As well as the radical looking Honda FC Sport Concept, which was done to prove that a hydrogen-powered future car does not have to look as boring or family as the company's upcoming Insight or the benchmark Toyota Prius.The show is a mis-hit for General Motors, which canned its concepts and parties, although Ford stays totally committed with a Mustang which makes the running for an event which typically draws around one million visitors in a city which is the car capital of the USA and, by extension, the world."I think there is a mixed emotion at the show," says J Mays (SUBS: CORRECT), the design director of Ford Motor Company."You still have to try and tug hard enough on the heart strings that people forget about the purse strings. It's a yin-and-yang situation."Looking over at his Mustang, and across to the Honda FC, Mays expresses what many people are thinking. Even at a time when it is more politically correct to attack the car chiefs, and their private- jet flights to Washington, than to talk about a show which takes another important step towards the world beyond petrol."Automobiles are escapism. It's not just transport," says Mays."People ask if it's appropriate to launch the Mustang at his time. Damn right it is. It puts a smile on your face and enhances your quality of life."That is definitely true of the Mustang, which still looks muscular and fresh despite a chassis which trails well behind the Ford Falcon, and the open-air Gallardo and even the second-generation Nissan Cube, which could just make it to Australia one day.And the 370Z looks tauter than today's 350, with the promise of more go and much better cabin quality, and the Mazda3 is fresh and happy.The Mini E looks just like the regular petrol-power car but is a milestone car which has the power and range to win people to electric."It's an important time in the history of the global car industry," says Carlos Ghosn.He worries about the impact of the global recession, and the money pressures on carmakers trying to evolve faster than ever before, and the challenges of safety and emission regulations.But, just like the cars on the LA Show stands, and the regular car people who flood in once the doors are open, he is bottom-line upbeat and bright."The one thing that is certain, absolutely certain, is that people will continue driving cars. Cars have no substitute. We have convergence on the issues, but divergence on the solutions," Ghosn says.And that is pretty much the way things looked in LA. 

But that is no surprise with the heads of the Big Three carmakers all skipping the event to continue lobbying for a $US25 billion lifeline from congress in Washington.Ford still splashed with the official introduction of the 2010 Mustang, but Chrysler and General Motors both wound-back their involvement in the second-biggest car show in North America.That left the way clear for the imports, with Mazda pulling the cover off its all-new Mazda3 - the last car it will develop with Ford as its owner - Nissan revealing its revitalised 370Z and a new Cube, and Honda revealing a radical looking new concept coupe called the FC Sport.Lexus also has a new RX SUV, which is being simultaneously unveiled in Sydney and will come as both a pure petrol car and a hybrid, Hyundai is showing a Sonata hybrid concept and the plug-in Mini E electric car is making its first public appearance.The LA show usually draws a crowd of more than one million visitors but the attendance is expected to be well down this year with car sales off by more than 35 per cent in October and America's annual selling rate down by closer to 40 per cent.Still, cars like the Mustang will still draw a crowd in a city which is one of the most automobile driven in the world and there are plenty of pointers to the future including a growing number of electric cars led by the Mini but including concepts from Chrysler. 

The original pony car from the 1960s became a 2010 model today at the opening of the Los Angeles Motor Show with everything you would expect of a Mustang. It has all the familiar keys expected in a Mustang, from the basic shape to a V8 under the bonnet, but has been tweaked and primped for a new edition. It runs on bigger wheels, with a smaller-looking body that is softer around the edges, and also has a new-generation V8 promising more go from less fuel. And to meet a growing band of rivals led by the Aussie-made Chevrolet Camaro. The Camaro and Dodge Challenger have been brought back from the dead, after also starting their lives in the muscle car era of the 1960s, as more and more Americans look for the car they could never afford in their youth. In the case of the Mustang, there are high hopes for a car which is now celebrating its 45th birthday and is the halo car for the whole blue oval brand. "We wanted to take it to the next level. Aggressive, muscular and athletic," says the Mustang's chief engineer, Paul Randle. The Mustang has shared top billing at Ford alongside the F150 truck but, with the recent downturn in demand for pickups and SUVs, the muscle car now sits alone. And Ford knows it has to fire. Chief designer J Mays says the 2010 Mustang is right-sized and done right for the 21st century. "We managed to make it look smaller than Camaro and Challenger," Mays says. The mechanical package includes wheels as big as 19-inch alloys, standard stability control, an optional 4.6-litre V8 and - best of all for Mustang fans - the potential for major upgrades by tuner companies including Shelby. But the basic mechanical package is as basic as always - trailing well behind the FG Falcon in its chassis design and tuning - and there is no chance of the car becoming an official model in Australia. The last Mustang move Down Under was a disaster, once enthusiasts had claimed the first cars, and so the only 2010s likely to hit Australian roads will be private imports which have been converted to right-hand drive by local specialists.  

Ford will debut a variant of the growling, retro-styled Mustang this weekend at the Los Angeles Auto Show.The 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt is an update of the 1968 pony car driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt.Last year the car chase scene in Bullitt was chosen as the best of all time. The 2008-version goes on sale in January. Ford will produce just 7700 for the American market, with a starting price of $US31,075 ($35,255) .It will be a close replica of the original 1968 Mustang, right down to its stealth-like appearance. For the movie, all the exterior badges and logos from the car were removed.The new car features the same Dark Highland Green paint, lack of badges, scoops and spoilers. Ford will also offer the car in black.The word Bullitt is on a graphic on a fake petrol cap on the boot.The car's chief designer, Doug Gaffka, says: “The 2008 Mustang Bullitt, like the movie car, is ... a wolf in sheep's clothing.”The new car features a 4.6-litre, 3-valve V8 that delivers 235kW at6000 rpm and 440Nm of torque at 4250 rpm. Top speed is 240km/h and it has a 5-speed manual gearbox. It even features a polished aluminium shift ball designed specifically for the car.The book The Greatest Movie Car Chases Of All Time last year awarded Bullitt its prestigious accolade. Author Jesse Crosse voted the Bullitt chase better than other iconic movie chases including the chase through Paris in the 1998 movie Ronin, which came second, the little known 1973 movie The Seven Ups (third) and the famous Mini Cooper S chase in the The Italian Job of 1969 (fourth). Crosse says the Bullitt chase in which McQueen's Mustang chases a black Dodge Charger R/T driven by actor Bill Hickman through San Francisco is without doubt the best.“It's not just the inclusion of the fabulous cars, the fabulous city and King of Cool that makes Bullitt the best chase in the world,” he says.“The engine soundtrack of both cars is simply awesome.“The cinematography broke new ground and in-car footage is raw and gritty, with plenty of opportunity to watch Hickman, McQueen and Bud Edkins ... in action.”Ford is hoping the car re-ignites sales of the new-age Mustang. In the US, Autodata sales figures show Mustang sales are down 18per cent in the first 10 months of this year.Other highlights of the LA show include Chrysler's street-legal version of its Dodge Viper SRT10 race car. Hyundai's Genesis Coupe and Lamborghini's Reventon super car also will be featured.

“When I saw the first one come into the workshop I sat in it all day. My boss had to come get me out to do some work,” he says. Monk had fallen for the American muscle cars, in particular the Ford Mustangs. While he was used to heavy and underpowered British cars such as the Hillman his father drove, Monk says the new American thoroughbred was a welcome breath of fresh air. More than 40 years on and Monk's garage features not just one but three shiny Mustangs. His pride and joy is the 1967 Fastback he paid $30,000 for six years ago. “I had a 1965 but I always wanted a Fastback. I preferred the shape and when this one came up I bought it,” the 59-year-old says. Monk has since sold his 1965 model, but his wife, who shares his Mustang passion, has a 1967 convertible and he's also got a more modern version with a 1994 convertible. Monk says the 1967 Fastback was in good condition when he bought it, but he has carried out some work on the engine and the trim, and lowered it. “It was a little bit too high, they used to call it the four-wheel-drive Mustang because it was so high off the ground,” he says. The Mustangs weren't officially released in Australia in the 1960s and '70s, but some enthusiasts did import them into the country. Monk says Ford imported some models for sale. But in America, they instantly became a hit. “There were countdowns to when the Mustang was released,” Monk says. “When they were released people queued up to buy them, they slept in dealerships. That was in America.” Ford didn't build any right-hand-drive versions of the Mustangs, so the ones that came into Australia had to be converted. “Up until 1998, you couldn't drive a left-hand-drive car in Australia, so you had the added cost of conversion,” Monk says. “You could in South Australia and Canberra but not NSW.” This made them quite expensive for the average Australian, making it much cheaper to opt for a locally manufactured car. The cars originally sold in the US for about $US2500, but according to Monk, they were more expensive here because of the conversion costs. Monk says when these cars were first released, they were ahead of their time, offering a five-page list of options such as cruise control. “It's automatic. The rear seat folds up and down giving access to the boot. It's a lovely car, it's just unusual and it's candy apple red in colour, it's a known fact that red Mustangs go faster,” he says. Monk says there are now a lot of them in Australia as many people have imported them over the years. The Mustang Owners Club of NSW alone has 600 members with about 800 cars. Monk's 1967 Fastback spent most of its life in the US, coming to settle Down Under at the beginning of this century. “It was born on August 1, 1967, that's the day it was manufactured, all this has been verified by Ford and the compliance plate on the car,” he says. “It came into Australia in 2000 when a father and son brought it in and did it up. They sold it to the guy I bought it off, who had it for a while. But he needed some money so he sold it to me and it will be a dark day before I sell it.” The classic Mustangs are now selling for about $50,000 for an average model. But many Mustang fans are happy just to get a look. Last year, Monk and 24 fellow Mustang owners took their vehicles more than 3000km on a club trip to Tasmania. One local found out about the team of Mustangs hitting town, so frantically rang all the motels in the area to find out where they were staying, in a hope of getting some happy snaps. But this sort of attention isn't new to Monk. “When you stop at traffic lights people offer to swap Commodores for the Mustang,” he laughs. “We meet a lot of people. At a car show this bloke came up to me and said he was the bloke who brought it into Australia, he used to own it.” Many people in particular have come to recognise the Mustang muscle car from its role in the hit film Gone In 60 Seconds, which introduced a new generation to the classic. Monk says his model is the same shape and same kind of Mustang as Eleanor, the one Nicolas Cage drove, but is just a different variant. While Monk is satisfied with his current Mustang collection, like most car enthusiasts he would like to see it grow in size. “There are always plans for more Mustangs, it's only the bank account that prohibits any more,” he says. “I'd like to get a current model, but I'd have to sell the house and live in a caravan to do that.” Although he likes the new modernised version, Monk says his true passion lies with the classic Mustang models. But in his books, you can have any Mustang to be considered a real car owner. “There's only one car, a Mustang, all Fords come second ... then there's the rest,” he says laughing. “If you don't own a Mustang we say you've gone to the dark side.”   Snapshot 1967 FORD MUSTANG FASTBACK Value when new: $US2500, about $5000 in Australia after conversion Value six years ago: $30,000 Value now: Between $50,000 and $75,000 Verdict: It's not hard to fall in love with the classic shape and looks of this American muscle car, well-known for its role in the action film Gone In 60 Seconds.  

The two Fastback coupes, a 1967 right-hand-drive GT500 and a 1968 left-hand-drive GT350H will be up for grabs in the Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour on the last day of the show, November 5.The auctioneers, Shannons, say the GT500 (build number 500) is one of just 2048 Shelbys built with Ford's big block Police Interceptor 428 V8 engine in 1967. It has a fully documented history.The Le Mans Blue GT500 up for auction was delivered new in California in March 1967 and has a four-speed manual gearbox. It came to Australia in 1969 and was totally restored in 1999.The left-hand-drive red 1968 GT350H (build number 01140) was originally delivered to the Hertz Car Rental Company in Detroit in 1968.It came to Australia in the late 1990s.Shannons expect the Shelby GT500 to attract bids in the $170,000-$200,000 range and the GT350H to sell for $150,000-plus.