25.04.2006 

Es wird zwei Sonderauflagen des Mustangs geben: das 2006 Shelby GT-H Modell und den Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang.

Shelby, Hertz team up on throwback Mustang

Forty years ago the only way to get behind the wheel of a 1966 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350H special-edition was to visit your local Hertz car rental store, sign on the dotted line (this would have been a great time to pay extra for the rental insurance), and drive away to the nearest racetrack.

Though there is little evidence any of the cars actually made it to the track, that is not stopping Ford, Shelby and Hertz from reigniting the urban myth with 500 black-and-gold 2006 Shelby GT-H models—debuting at the New York show and available later this year as Hertz rental cars only. The GT-H gets a boost from the Ford Racing Performance Parts bin, resulting in a 20-hp, 10-lb-ft increase in power from the 4.6-liter V8 (up to 325 hp and 330 lb-ft).

Saleen/Parnelli Jones Mustang

The Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang, due this fall as a 2007 model, gets the same orange-and-black paint scheme and period-specific trim pieces as the original. Under the shaker hood Saleen stuffs a modern 302-cid, 370-hp, 370-lb-ft three-valve V8.

Ford Motor Co.'s Special Vehicle Team will survive

Ford Motor Co.'s Special Vehicle Team will survive Ford executive Mark Fields says. But the performance brand has been scaled back.

Going forward, Ford will offer one high-performance Mustang and one high-performance truck in its lineup, Fields said last week here at the New York auto show.

Ford expects to sell 5,000 to 10,000 units of each SVT vehicle annually, he said.

Fields wouldn't say what kind of truck is in the works or when it would debut. The Shelby GT500, the latest Mustang developed by SVT, is scheduled to go on sale this summer.

Fields acknowledged that SVT and Ford Racing's marketing groups have been combined. He described Ford's performance strategy as a three-pronged approach encompassing SVT, Ford Racing and "personalized performance" aimed at the tuner crowd.

Although SVT has been scaled back, Fields said he is "from the school that says performance vehicles make brands stronger."

"I believe they have a critical role in our Way Forward because they challenge our designers and engineers to excel, they excite our marketers, and they make a strong emotional connection to customers.

Mark Fields Speaks to Media at New York Auto Show

Below are excerpts of the speech Mark Fields, President of the Ford Motor Company, gave to journalists at the New York International Auto Show in Manhattan.

Good morning and thank you for joining us. It’s always great to be back at this auto show in what is one of the greatest cities in the world.

It’s no secret to anyone that a process of reinvention is happening today in the U.S. auto industry. We have witnessed more change in the first quarter of 2006 alone than we have seen in a generation.

……
On the performance front, you’ve seen the Shelby GT500 and you’ll soon be able to experience the most powerful factory-built Mustang in history for yourselves.

At the New York Auto Show, we showcased two other elements of our strategy – the coming together of personalized performance and Ford Racing Performance Parts -- in a uniquely Ford way and distinctively Shelby way. It’s called the new 2006 Ford Shelby GT-H Mustang.

The “H” stands for “Hertz edition” because this is a 40th anniversary celebration of the original 1966 Shelby GT350H “rent-a-racer.”

It was a crazy idea that Carroll and the Hertz folks came up with back in ’65 and ’66. To think that you could rent a 306-horsepower Shelby for U.S. $17 a day and 17 cents per mile … and take it racing.

You will be able to rent a Shelby GT-H Mustang exclusively at select Hertz locations this summer. If you want to actually buy one, you will have to wait a bit. After what I’m sure will be “light duty” with Hertz, these cars will eventually find their way to collector car auctions and Ford dealer used vehicle lots before the end of the year.

These are truly great new products that underscore where we’re headed with the Ford Way Forward plan.

Copyright Text und Fotos: Ford Motor Company