I’m not a car salesman, but I know part of what moves Mustangs is how traditional they are. When you sign on the dotted line, you buy into the 50+-year history of the car that the Blue Oval’s marketers and engineers have managed to bolt into the S550.
As technologically advanced (no more tape decks!) and modernly powered as the new Mustang is, it’s fundamentally similar to its old school ancestors. For example, take a look at the video below, which features a 1966 convertible with the 289-cubic-inch V8. Ford promotes the ragtop ‘Stang as a vehicle that gives drivers a feeling of adventure.
That hasn’t changed. Several years ago, I spent some time behind the wheel of a black-on-black New Edge GT and felt as if I was a drug dealer (pretending you might get arrested any second is good for a thrill or two). I recently drove all around Austin with my girlfriend in the 2015 5.0 convertible and the two of us had our very own Miami Vice moment. We even played this song at night when we had the top down.
What about you all? How does your Mustang make you feel when you drive it?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
