Moments after two new special-edition Ford Mustangs appeared to be level Thursday night before the opening of the Detroit Auto Show, the automaker’s CEO revealed that President-elect Donald Trump had called the company president, Bill Ford.
The theme of the call was the association rather than the opposition.
“The message is simple. Ford is the number one automaker. We produce more cars in the United States than elsewhere. We export more cars than Array. We have more UAW staff than Array. We are America’s automaker,” Jim Farley, chief executive of Ford Motor Company, told reporters. “Let’s work together to strengthen our industry. We have many policy decisions to make today, from price lists to CO2 policies, and we can work together to strengthen our industry.
But some worry that Trump’s threats to include price lists for foreign imports, specifically from China, could have a negative effect on automakers like Ford that source parts from other countries.
“Even though Ford’s the number-one assembler of vehicles in the United States by a long shot, a lot of our supply chain depends on countries around the world, and so tariffs are really challenging for any company,” Farley said. “We’ll work with the administration through these very difficult times of a global economy that’s starting to change, and I’m very optimistic, based on our conversations and that we’ll be able to make a lot of progress.”
The Ford executive also needs the automaker to respect his quality, while reducing the number of costly recalls.
In fact, he described the company’s “quality journey” as “rewarding but challenging,” noting that recalls have dropped by 20% in recent years. However, the quality goes beyond the recalls, as the company is interested in the quality of the powertrain in the long term.
“We’re investing a lot now in more robust transmissions and engines, different kinds of hybrid systems,” he said.
As evidence Ford is attempting to appeal to a wider market, the automaker rolled out a stage-full of special edition SUVs, pickup trucks and the two Mustangs.
Among the special edition pickups and SUVs were the hybrid Maverick Lobo, a small pickup truck, Bronco Sport Sasquatch, Bronco Stroppe, a tribute to vehicle builder Phil Stroppe, Expedition Tremor and Ranger Raptor.
Ford Ranger Raptor special edition pickup truck drives on stage during a media event January 9 ahead … [+] of the opening of the 2025 Detroit Auto Show.
But the two stars of the show were the black-and-white-striped Mustang RTR, designed for racing, and the 815-horsepower Mustang GTD Spirit of America, with a top speed of 202 miles per hour.
The special edition Ford Mustang RTR was revealed at a media event ahead of the opening of the 2025 Detroit Auto Show on Jan. 9.
The level filled with special edition cars is indicative of the direction Ford is taking in terms of variety of styles, powertrains, generation and features, Farley announced at the official unveiling.
“We are going to offer consumers the widest selection when it comes to powertrains and lifestyles, and there is much more to come. For what? Because lately we are using the next generation of revolutionary electric and software-defined automobiles within the company, and will be introduced in the coming years,” Farley said.
Special editions are fun concepts and help maintain interest in the other models, and one expert says the Mustangs are especially useful for the legendary pony car that is attracting the most interest in recent years in its battery-electric version.
Mike Hanley, Senior Road Test Editor, Cars. com
“It’s a natural fit to increase interest in the Mustang, which is a little bit like the gas Mustang,” said Mike Hanley, senior roadside inspection editor at food research and shopping site Mustang. Cars. com Vehicles, in a press release. interview.
Perhaps one of the most unexpected omissions from the program is the absence of a battery-electric special edition.
But Hanley says, that makes sense.
“Ford has already slowed down the production of its electric cars to adapt to the market. Because, as we are seeing, the stock in our plant is increasing compared to where it was and the shortage of electric cars. There are now smart reserves. ” Hanley said. “I think they’re looking to find that balance in terms of customer appetite. “
Ford is building a new ultra-modern advance product development center not far from its Dearborn, Michigan headquarters.
It’s all in keeping with what Farley said is the company’s overall mantra as it attempts to dream up vehicles it thinks consumers will desire in the future.
“The number one rule at Ford is don’t use boring products, and you saw that here tonight. That’s our rule.
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