Four-door Mustang edges closer

Ford CEO says Mustang name could be used for a wider line-up, including a saloon

- STEVE CROPLEY

Ford is so delighted with the burgeoning worldwide sales of its 60-year-old, petrol-powered Mustang that it is contemplating launching a new range of "authentic" combustion-engined variants that could include a four-door model for the first time in history.

Speaking exclusively to Autocar at the recent Goodwood Members' Meeting - where he raced an Alan Mann-prepared Mustang V8 Notchback - Ford CEO Jim Farley claimed the Mustang is now "by far" the world's best-selling coupé and has developed a huge body of followers worldwide. However, he acknowledged that new derivatives would only be accepted by these supporters if they had the "performance and attitude" of existing models.

"We will never build a Mustang that isn't a Mustang," he insisted. "For instance, there will never be room for a small, two-row Ford SUV with a Mustang badge stuck on it. But could we do other Mustang body forms - a four-door or whatever? I believe we could, as long as these models have all the performance and attitude of the original."