2005 Mustang pulls with all its muscle

"The 2005 Ford Mustang, with its legendary heritage and retro look is among the hottest cars in the industry! Its performance on the street and in the showrooms is beating everyone's expectations," says Hussein Murad, sales and marketing director, Ford Middle East.

"The 2005 Mustang demand is so strong that most of our production between now and the end of 2005 model year (October 2005) is already committed. The latest stock to the UAE was presold; the first shipment of Mustangs to Saudi Arabia was presold and over 80 per cent of future arrivals are presold; and - Oman, Qatar, Bahrain have seen 66 per cent sales increase so far over the same period last year," continues Murad.

Ford is expected to sell 160,000 - 165,000 Mustangs in the U.S. alone this year.

In addition to increased, demand fuelled production, the all-new 2005 Ford Mustang GT has been given the well deserved status of best American Muscle Car of the year by internationally reputed car magazine - Car and Driver.

The first truly new Mustang in 26 years, performed exceptionally on its numerous road tests conducted by 15 motoring journalists with over 20 years of experience and demonstrated high value thereby gracefully winning its spot on the list of 10 best cars of the year according to Car and Driver. To date, more than 33,000 2005 Mustang coupes have been sold, with nearly 12,000 retail orders still waiting to be fulfilled.

Since it's North American launch in the fall of 2004, the new model Mustang has been an instant sensation with new car buyers. Sales of the 2005 model have sent overall Mustang sales to record levels every month since it's launch. The higher-end Mustang GT V-8 models are in short supply, and the much-anticipated new convertible model is expected to arrive at dealerships in the GCC, May this year.

Increasing sales gains have also been accompanied by share gains. Since the 2005 launch, in the US, the Mustang has garnered 44 percent of the sport coupe segment featuring cars such as the Pontiac GTO, Nissan 350Z and the Chrysler Sebring among others.

When Mustang was first introduced in April 1964, Ford had only expected to sell 100,000 the first year, but dealers took 22,000 orders the first day. Ford shifted production mid-year and Mustang went on to sell 618,812 units. More than 8 million Mustangs have been sold in the 41 years since its introduction. The 1 millionth Mustang was sold by March 1966.

"Mustang's rich performance heritage and distinct styling have made it America's top-selling sports car for 17 years straight and with the all-new 2005 model, we expect this will be the best sales year for the Mustang since 1994. The original pony car keeps getting better and is capturing consumers' hearts once again," Murad added.

Built in Flat Rock, Michigan, the Mustang is available in the GT Deluxe and GT Premium models, in the coupe body style. The convertible model will be available in the Middle East mid-2005. For the first time, Mustang is available with a five-speed automatic, which provides a unique combination of off-the-line jump and good highway fuel economy.

As in all Ford vehicles, the 2005 Mustang helps occupants stay safe therefore maintaining the power and responsibility partnership. Ford's Personal Safety System™, a comprehensive safety technology package, is standard and it provides increased protection in frontal crashes by analyzing crash factors and determining the proper response within milliseconds. It uses dual-stage driver and front-passenger air bags - capable of deploying at full or partial power - safety belt pretensioners and energy management retractors.