If Ford Invented The Mustang Today, Would It Be Made From A Fiesta ST?

[Fiesta ST News]

When Ford debuted the Mustang back in '64, the car was little more than a rebodied economy car with a ton of trim and performance options. Given that same formula, what would the Mustang look like if it was designed today?

The original Mustang was only rear-wheel drive because it was built off of Ford's basic economy car, the Falcon, and that happened to be RWD. It's that economy car base that let the Mustang be so cheap. It started at $2,368, or $17,821 in today's money. That's about six grand less than the base price of the upcoming 'Stang, a car built on its own dedicated (and expensive) platform.

I would figure that the equivalent economy car base for a reborn Mustang would be a Fiesta. I like the idea of a redesigned, small, tossable FWD coupe, but past experience with the dreaded Ford EXP and the Ford Probe (both similarly front-drive Mustang-alikes) makes me think I'd be in the minority.

Do you think anyone would buy a new car built to the original Mustang formula, not just one sold with the same badge?

Media Source: jalopnik

 

[Etyrnus]

I actually talked to a couple of muscle car guys a while back, and successfully convinced them that the performance sport compacts and subcompacts are in the same design mentality as the original muscle/pony cars. Affordable and fun, built off an economy platform. They still didn't care for the fwd, but admitted the point was true.

 

[CanadianST]

Had the FiST in a local car show last weekend and that point was actually brought up by some muscle car guys that were looking at my car. When I arrived most of the cars were American muscle so I ended up parked between a pro street 1969 Nova with a 572 and a early 70s Mustang. At first everyone kinda laughed at it but eventually the older guy with the Mustang asked if the "ST" trim was just for looks, after I gave him the scoop and how much it cost he commented that it sounded like something from back in his day a "factory hotrod." He also wasn't too keen on the fwd haha

 

[Etyrnus]

I think the FiST, the FoST, the cobalt ss, the SRT4 Neon, even the Mazdaspeed3 are all in that category. They were all priced slightly above the regular models, usually 3-4k, but not astronomically so, and built of an economy based platform. I exclude the EVO and STI due to their price tags being well above comparable sized vehicles.

 

[NorthernProducer]

I think it is a fair question and think if Ford applied the same goals today to market a muscle or Pony car, either of the ST's would fill the bill. Having owned a new 1965 Mustang convertible (289, 4V and 4 speed) and tell you for a fact the FiST will run circles around the original in sophistication, engineering and comfort to name a few advantages. The exception is the sound of the V8 unencumbered by all the emissions systems in today's V8's. So, unless you want to compare it to a Shelby GT350 from 1965...I'll take the FiST as the modern-day factory "hot rod".