TO THE EDITOR:
The Mustang is being reinvented — yeah! It is being made into a crossover — sigh!
When the Ford Mustang was introduced in 1964, it was a revolution. It had sharp lines, minimal trim and proportions that favored the front, with a longer hood than trunk. The interior had bucket seats, full carpeting, deluxe dash and a floor shifter — features that cost extra on most other cars.
The Mustang was for everyone. It was small, easy to park, easy to service and cheap to buy.
Like any good, profitable design, it was copied. And the original was fooled with. The current Mustang is as close to the original's mission as one could expect. But why not reinvent the Mustang for today, in the spirit of the original?
An electric powerplant would be the first step. A small and efficient size that is easy to park in small spaces or garages would be next. A design that points to the future with a wink to the past. Decent interior space and a reasonable trunk, like the original. Along with a price below $30,000 for the base model, with an option list as long as your arm.
Young people don't need, or want, a five-passenger crossover for $50,000. Every Mustang sold from the first was a car that was wanted, not needed. Ford needs to rethink the youth market and get with the times.
CHARLES WININGHAM, Alton, Ill. The writer is an archivist for Lambda Car Club International's newsletter, Driveshaft.
