"It's a way to enjoy a vehicle, to be unique, and it enhances the specialty cars very well without having to break the law." Basically, Ford says, a convertible makes driving a more exhilarating experience by bringing you closer to the elements, so it's only natural that an exhilarating driver's car like the Mustang would be ideal for a soft top. "I think the convertible fits that pattern," Reickert says. Erick Reickert, the executive director of Ford's small-car programs, explains that since the advent of the 55-mph speed limit, people have sought ways other than speed to have fun in their vehicles, specifically in vans and 4wd and now that those alternatives have become too expensive in terms of fuel efficiency, sporty cars are experiencing a resurgence. As Ford sees it, luxury convertibles like the LeBaron and Riviera miss the point of the topless phenomenon. Not a K-car, not a Riviera, not a J-car, but a Mustang, a car that's meant to be a driver's car. The most interesting thing about Ford's convertible is that it's a Mustang. Even so, we learned enough about the new Mustang convertible by talking to Ford spokesmen and poking at the car itself to come back pretty impressed. It wasn't meant to be a runner, so we can't give you a driving impression. Unfortunately, this particular example was built solely to whip fleet buyers into an ordering frenzy at their spring meeting in Palm Springs. You see here an early prototype of the 1983 Mustang convertible, the precursor of a 7000-car assault on the topless market for next fall (plans for a 200-car production run this summer have apparently been abandoned). Ford is the latest, and already it has taken the lead in soft-top sophistication. Everybody wants one, from the people who build them to the people who buy them. From the July 1982 Issue of Car and DriverĬonvertibles are fashionable again.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |