This might sound familiar to Mustang Source members but an insider has told the folks at Mustangs Daily that the all new S550 platform for the next generation Ford Mustang will debut for the 2014 ½ model year rather than as the 2015 Mustang. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the mighty Mustang, the first 1,000 examples of the next generation Mustang will be labeled as the 2014 1/5 model year – paying homage to the original pony car that is affectionately known as the 1964 ½ Mustang.
The first 1,000 next generation Mustangs that wear the 2014 ½ designation will feature a special VIN and build sequence number but it is unclear right now whether it will have the VIN of a 2014 or 2015 Mustang. Considering that the 2014 Mustang is already on sale and the 2014.5 Mustang will be based on the redesigned 2015 Mustang, we would expect that these 1,000 instant collectables would wear the VIN of a 2015 model year vehicle – just like the original. This news comes after a Ford social media team member first suggested that this would happen late last year – only to claim that she had made a mistake some time later, rescinding her original comment.
While there has been no official word as to when the next generation Ford Mustang will arrive, it is widely expected that it will debut at the 2014 New York International Auto Show on April 17th, 2014… Exactly 50 years to the day that the original Mustang was introduced at the New York World’s Fair. Back in 1964, the new Mustang went on sale around the country on that same day with some 22,000 units sold on the first day and with Ford’s love of doing things with some old school flair – we would expect that the 2014 ½ Ford Mustang would at least become available for order on the same day that it debuts in New York.
Considering that the 2014 ½ Ford Mustang both celebrates the 50th anniversary of the model while also introducing the newest generation of the fabled pony car, we can expect that these 1,000 half model year Mustangs will sell out fast with a very big price tag. It is likely that Ford won’t slap these unique Mustangs will a bigger price tag than the average Mustang but we can almost surely expect that those dealerships who get ahold of one or more of these 50th anniversary 2014.5 Mustangs will add a hefty markup to the price.
That sucks for those hopeful buyers who will have a hard time ponying up big money for a fairly standard (yet extremely limited) 2014.5 Mustang GT but it will have a positive impact on the sales in the early going for the “normal” 2015 Mustangs. With the collectors looking to snatch up the first next gen Mustangs satisfied with the 2014 ½ Mustangs, there should be far less dealerships applying huge markups to the first of the 2015 model year Mustangs that arrive shortly after the 2014.5 models are sold out.
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