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These horribly misguided front-drive design studies nearly became the Mustang

As we eagerly await the unveiling of the all-new sixth-generation Mustang, Ford has been giving us some great information over the past few months showing what has gone into shaping its venerable pony car. As many changes as the Mustang has gone through in its 50 years, though, it appears the fourth-gen model played a decisive and pivotal role in the car's future.
As is part of Mustang lore, the front-wheel drive Ford Probe was originally developed as a next-generation Mustang in the Eighties before cooler heads prevailed. The Blue Oval has just released a handful of images showing how bad things could have been - including a full-scale clay model of a front-wheel-drive Mustang (shown above). Fortunately, the FWD Mustang plan was scrapped and Ford went to work designing a rear-wheel-drive replacement for the Fox Body Mustang, with three design studies making it far enough to become full-scale models. These include the soft "Bruce Jenner" Mustang, the over-the-top "Rambo" Mustang and the middle-ground "Arnold Schwarzenegger" Mustang, which finally became the basis for the 1994 'Stang.
By early 1991, the design language of the fourth-generation Mustang had been worked out, and the rest, they say, is history. Scroll down for the fascinating press release telling the story of the fourth-gen Mustang, and be sure to check out the gallery of horribly misguided sketches and various design studies that were all on the table in the late 1980s.

Ford Claims Focus As World's Best-Selling Car For Second Year In A Row

Ford Motor Co. has claimed its Focus sedan beat out the Toyota Corolla for the title of 'best-selling car in the world' for the second year in a row. The declaration was based on independent sales figures from January to September of 2013, according to USA Today. Last year, Ford used data from the analysis firm Polk to support its claim of having the best-selling car of 2012. Toyota objected, stating the Corolla sold more units. The numbers eventually showed that the Ford Focus was the best selling nameplate of the year, but may have been second to the Toyota sedan overall since multiple variations of the Corolla are sold under different nameplates around the world. Data from the analysis firm R.L. Polk found Focus registrations from January through September 2013 reached 856,587. Ford can thank booming car sales in China, where the automaker sold 303,481 units, for a sizable chunk of that number, which was a 16 percent increase over 2012. "Our success with Focus is the result of Ford's connection to our customers all over the world," said Jim Farley, an executive vice president at Ford. The Focus and Corolla both compete in the popular small sedan segment, along with other hot-selling cars like the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Cruze. These vehicles make a up a large portion of sales for their respective automakers, as they tend to hit a sweet spot for many consumers, coming with a starting sticker price under $20,000, solid fuel economy, plenty of cargo and passenger room and, lately, sharp exterior design and sportier driving dynamics. Related Gallery 2013 Ford Focus ST Test Drive Ford focus

Ford's simple suit makes you feel like a drunk driver

We've all heard about the dangers of drunk driving for practically our entire lives. Whether it's from PSAs on TV or lectures in school, no one can claim ignorance of drunk driving being extremely dangerous. However, that doesn't prevent some people from still doing it. Ford is trying to take the safety message directly to young drivers with a special suit that allows them to simulate driving under the influence. It is all part of Ford's Driving Skills for Life program that gives free driving education to young people. The program is meant to "train kids in skills they don't learn in driver's ed," said Kelli Felker, Ford Safety Communications Manager, to Autoblog. The drivers don a few items to impair their senses and make them off-balance to simulate having a few too many drinks and then go out on a closed course with an instructor to see the effects. Felker said that the suit is a new part of the program, and Ford just received the outfit in the US. It will be incorporated into the training here in the late spring or early summer. Scroll down to see the effect it has on drivers in Europe. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.