Is the Ford Mustang about to escape its North American corral and gallop to Europe? If the reaction from European consumers is any indication, it’s a distinct possibility.
Roelant de Waard, Ford of Europe vice president-marketing, sales and service, says the auto maker has been attempting to gauge Europeans’ interest in the fabled pony car.
“We’ve asked the European audience if they want the Mustang,” de Waard tells WardsAuto. “The response so far has been exceptionally good.”
The positive reaction comes somewhat as a surprise, given the Mustang has been nearly exclusively sold in North America since its introduction in 1964. But de Waard says the car’s mystique knows no boundaries.
“In many countries, despite the fact we haven’t sold it there, it’s still one of the Ford’s most recognized nameplates,” he says.
To gauge reaction, Ford ran a commercial featuring the Mustang during the Champions League football (soccer) final last month. In the ad, viewers were directed to the auto maker’s website, GoFurther.com, to leave comments.
Ford spokesman Mark Truby says the Champions League finals was chosen because of its large audience, which he says closely matches that of the National Football League’s Super Bowl.
“We wanted to gauge reaction to the Mustang and some other products we are considering bringing to Europe. No decision has been made, but the reaction has been fantastic,” Truby tells WardsAuto, adding Ford’s European dealers are “certainly interested.”
No timetable for a decision on bringing the Mustang to Europe has been set, he adds.
The Mustang, built at Ford’s AutoAlliance plant in Flat Rock, MI, is seeing a healthy sales year despite competition from the Chevrolet Camaro and, to a lesser degree, the Dodge Challenger. Mustang deliveries through May were up 27.0% compared with like-2011 to 38,361, according to WardsAuto data.
Selling the high-powered Mustang in Europe would be an unusual move, given the market’s preference for small-displacement diesel mills that provide an alternative to relatively expensive gasoline. All current Mustangs feature V-6 or V-8 gas engines.
