Ford caused quite a bit of controversy when it announced plans to build an electric crossover that would bear the Mustang name. For some, no matter how good the Ford Mustang Mach-E is, simply putting the badge on the car was a step too far. We’re generally of the mind that it doesn’t really matter, and you can just call it the Mach-E if you want, but we get it. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Ford CEO Jim Farley made a couple of comments to Autocar that suggest he doesn’t consider the Mach-E a real Mustang either.
“We will never build a Mustang that isn’t a Mustang,” Farley told Autocar. “For instance, there will never be room for a small, two-row Ford SUV with a Mustang badge stuck on it. But could we do other Mustang body forms – a four-door or whatever? I believe we could, as long as these models have all the performance and attitude of the original.”
Now, you could look at that quotation and think, “Oh awesome! I’d love a Mustang-powered sport sedan!” You would also be correct because a four-door Mustang would, in fact, be awesome. Instead, though, let’s focus on that second sentence. By Ford’s standards, the Mustang Mach-E is a small, two-row Ford SUV with a Mustang badge stuck on it. So did Ford build a Mustang that isn’t a real Mustang? Or was that statement just poorly worded?
He also said, “Some people think we could mix Mustang with off-road driving – look at what Porsche has done with the 911 Dakar, and what Lamborghini has been doing. But I’m not so sure about that.” Which is interesting because the Ford just released development details for the Mustang Mach-E Rally that show it’s putting way more effort into the off-road variant than it probably needed to.
Later in the interview, Farley said, “One thing I can promise, however, is that we will never make an all-electric Mustang. I look at other users of pure-electric power such as Formula E, and even companies like Rimac, and I just don’t think that would be right for Mustang. Great for other Fords – look at the worldwide success of Transit – but not for Mustang.”
Last time we checked, the Mustang Mach-E is, indeed, fully electric. And based on the other comments he made, we’re pretty sure the only logical conclusion here is that Ford’s CEO doesn’t consider the Mustang Mach-E a real Mustang.
When asked for a comment, a Ford spokesperson said, “The key takeaway from Jim’s interview is that Mustang isn’t going anywhere and has a very bright and exciting future ahead of it.”