TMSBrad

Doug Gaffka has a dream job designing dream cars. Gaffka can now add the Shelby GT500 to a design portfolio that includes the Bullit Mustang and the Mustang GT-R, as well as the 1999 Mustang and the Thunderbird. With the 12th annual Woodward Dream Cruise, the world’s largest one-day cruise event, approaching, Gaffka talked about the effect the Mustang has had on American car culture.

Q. Looking back at the Ford portfolio over the years, which vehicles do you believe have really struck an emotional chord with consumers?
A. The Mustang, of course. We’ve met with a lot of people over the years to talk about Mustang, and we continually hear how significant Mustang is to their lives — partly because our history with Mustang has been quite consistent and their memories have shaped their thoughts, passions and image of that car, especially when they own one.

Another car is Thunderbird, it really struck a chord with people. People were very passionate about that car — what they thought it should be, how they thought it should look and the performance that it should have. It, like Mustang, had a huge influence on American pop culture, including starring roles in some pretty famous films.

Q. What is it about the Mustang that makes it so appealing and loved?
A. Mustang is a true American car, and I think that’s what you really hear from people. What they really love about it and admire about it is that it can’t be copied. You can’t take the cues and put them on another car. It is the only pony car. That’s what really sets it apart from everything else. The heritage helps, too, because there’s been a consistency over the years, which doesn’t occur with most vehicles. You wouldn’t necessarily know a 1960 Ford or a 2006 Ford, but you’d know a 1964 Mustang, and you’d be able to recognize today’s Mustang.

Q. How much competition will Mustang face from the new Chevrolet Camaro?
A. I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I think the competition between Camaro and Mustang has always been a healthy competition because one pushes the other. When you have two vehicles out there trying to dominate a market, there’s no complacency. That’s very important. I think the Camaro matchup with the Mustang is an important one in the customer’s eyes as well, although we basically put Camaro out of business in the last generation of Mustang. It’s hard to recapture a market when you’ve been out of it for a while.

Q. You were an instrumental part of the design team for the Shelby GT500. What was it like to work with automotive legend Carroll Shelby on that car?
A. Carroll was great. We did a couple of proposals on the car, and we brought him in to not only bless it, but to make some changes if he wanted. We picked out the ’68 Mustang as our favorite, and he came out and just loved it. He said it was really great. And there’s one thing I’ll always remember: He said it really made him happy, especially to have his name back on a Ford car, where it all started. He was very thrilled about that. It really made us feel good when he came in and liked the car. He made a few tweaks — like he thought the lettering should be bigger in the rear, etc. — but overall, he thought the car was terrific. And he was super to deal with.

Q. What place will the Shelby GT500 hold in Mustang history?
A. I think this will be one of the most important Mustangs. When we brought the Mustang back in the ’90s, we really reinitiated more of a heritage look. And we’ve done a couple of Cobras since then. But I think the Shelby GT500 will be most remembered out of all of them for two reasons. No. 1, it’s come out of a very popular design that we have today. It’s very recognizable as a Mustang. And second is it has Carroll’s signature on it. I think that’s real important to Mustang owners.

Q. How important is the Woodward Dream Cruise? Why do you think it garners so much support and fanfare?
A. It sort of exemplifies the American dream. It also represents a lot of the memories that people have of what cars used to mean. Nowadays, so many of us forget that there were times in the ’60s or ’70s when we did cruise our cars. The Dream Cruise allows people to put all of their focus on one major event throughout the year. And it gives them a real excuse to bring this car out that means a lot to them. It’s just part of the heritage and the memories that you have.

Q. Which Ford vehicles have the biggest presence at the Dream Cruise?
A. It’s probably the Mustangs and the Thunderbirds. There are some early-year Fords — from the ’50s — I’ve seen quite a few of those. I’ve also seen a lot of Cougars, particularly 1960s vintage, and some Lincolns. But most of the time, the cars that really garner the most attention are Mustangs and Thunderbirds. I think they have the largest following because they pulled at the heartstrings of Americans over the years. No matter the age, we realize that even people who don’t own Mustangs still love Mustangs.