The current Ford Mustang is at the very end of its lifecycle but the brand is still trying to work through a backlog of orders.
Ford Australia paused orders for the Mustang in July, citing the global semiconductor chip shortage and supply chain challenges, but the company hasn’t indicated when it plans to reopen them.
“We just can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. First priority is to make the orders of the customers that have placed their deposits with the dealers,” Ford Australia president Andrew Birkic told CarExpert.
“We think that’s the prudent approach and it’s the right approach.
“And then we’ll reassess it based on supply lines and obviously some feedback from dealers and customers,” he added, noting the supply chain has been evolving and vessel availability has been subject to change.
The Mustang was last open to new orders in June, with Ford Australia putting a notice on its website that vehicles ordered wouldn’t arrive until 2023. It’s not clear how long Ford will continue producing the current Mustang, given its replacement is imminent.
The updated 2022 Mustang arrived in the second quarter of this year, bringing new colours, standard Line Lock, and a new California Special appearance package for the GT.
Despite recent supply chain struggles, the Mustang has remained Australia’s best-selling sports car, a position it has enjoyed every year since 2016.
To the end of July, Ford logged 959 sales, putting the Mustang ahead of the recently redesigned Subaru BRZ (632 sales) and BMW 4 Series (531 sales).
The pony car range is down 50.4 per cent on the same period last year.
While sales have been trending downwards since 2017, the Mustang still breathes rarified air in the notoriously fashion-conscious sports car segment, where vehicles tend to peak early and trail off once they’re no longer the hot, new thing.
The new, seventh-generation Mustang will be revealed on September 14 in Detroit and is expected to enter production in the first half of 2023.
That suggests a local launch sometime later in 2023.
Ford has confirmed it’ll retain the option of a V8 engine and a six-speed manual, with the 10-speed automatic transmission and turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine also expected to carry over.
It’s unclear if or when previously rumoured hybrid derivatives will be launched.
Ford has said it will again make the new Mustang at its Flat Rock assembly plant in Michigan, which has received multi-billion dollar upgrades.
The company has also specifically called it “Mustang coupe” when discussing 2023 production plans, which calls into question the timeline around any convertible offering.
Ford has dropped the Mustang convertible before, with a droptop not available during the Mustang II’s 1974 to 1978 run and not appearing in the third-generation until 1983.
We’ve already seen some leaked exterior images of the new Mustang, depicting its redesigned, more square-jawed front end.
Although we haven’t seen yet, we expect to see some substantial interior changes with a more modern-looking infotainment setup, as well as potentially more safety features to ensure a better ANCAP result.
The Mustang and the new Ranger Raptor are now the only vehicles to fly the Ford Performance flag in Australia, with the Fiesta ST and Focus ST retired locally due to a lack of supply.
When asked if these vehicles could return, Mr Birkic said: “You never say never, but it’s certainly not in the plan right now.”
MORE: Everything Ford Mustang
