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What did you see on the road today?


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Anyone else remember the Mustang II, come guessed up Pinto? The name a manufacture uses on a new product has a lot to do with the initial perception of the new product. That is why they will use a known and well-respected product name to introduce a new and unknown product. People will still buy the product if they like or feel as if they need the product. The products performance in supplying the consumers' needs is what can hurt a product name. 

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Very few people thought "Falcon" when the Mustang was first introduced but then again Ford didn't call it a "Falcon" either.  Same with the Mustang II and the Pinto.  There is a certain understanding of what a Mustang represents and it has remained true for the past 47 years.  Calling the Mustang E a Mustang just dilutes the meaning of the definition and fuzzes up the brand identity.  Recall they did the reverse of this by dropping the Taurus nameplate (and identity) and calling it the "500" for a couple of years.  The E might be a perfectly acceptable EV (don't know-I'm not in the market as I live in a "tech thin" area with few charging stations) but in no way is it a Mustang.

(old guy rant off now)

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And the Ranger used to be a half ton, the Maverick used to be a car, the Explorer used to be a pickup, the Ramcharger used to be a car, the Charger used to have two doors, the Challenger was once a 4 cylinder Japanese import, Sierra has been a Ford car and a GM truck, Lightning used to be powered by gas.

Does a name matter that much? If it's a good product, then why does the name matter?

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20 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

 

Does a name matter that much? If it's a good product, then why does the name matter?

Look at the advertising.  You didn't see magazine ads in the '60s touting the Mustang's and the Charger's ability to transport kids teams to the game.  You saw sleek women and manly men offering entry to a lifestyle to aspire to.  The implication of performance and sophistication (even with a 200ci straight six).  This is completely off that track.  I can see in a while we'll see window stickers on Mustangs like I've seen on a certain Toyota hybrid car-"Nice Prius: said nobody"

Edited by The Junkman
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23 minutes ago, The Junkman said:

Look at the advertising.  You didn't see magazine ads in the '60s touting the Mustang's and the Charger's ability to transport kids teams to the game.  You saw sleek women and manly men offering entry to a lifestyle to aspire to.  The implication of performance and sophistication (even with a 200ci straight six).  This is completely off that track.  I can see in a while we'll see window stickers on Mustangs like I've seen on a certain Toyota hybrid car-"Nice Prius: said nobody"

Different world... print magazines barely exist anymore, though TV ads and online ads still tout the regular Mustang and Charger's performance.

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19 minutes ago, iamsuperdan said:

And the Ranger used to be a half ton, the Maverick used to be a car, the Explorer used to be a pickup, the Ramcharger used to be a car, the Charger used to have two doors, the Challenger was once a 4 cylinder Japanese import, Sierra has been a Ford car and a GM truck, Lightning used to be powered by gas.

Does a name matter that much? If it's a good product, then why does the name matter?

the ranger actually started as a trim level on F100's and later became a compact truck.  and now it's a "midsize" and  anyone with more than 2 brain cells to rub together looking for a midsize truck buys a Tacoma.  the ranger has been it's own thing longer than it was trim package so it's whatever at this point.

the explorer i think was just a trim level on an F100 and never gained traction as there own entity.  no real loss.

wasn't the Ramcharger just a 426 wedge engine option?  and didn't it only last a few years?  slapping a defunct name on an off road capable SUV that was more workhorse than your wifes luxury SUV is kinda here nor there.  at least they put the name on something cool.

the charger having 4 doors is something i was vocal about my displeasure of at the time.  to this day i still refer to them as magnum sedans.  sense they really are just magnum wagons with a shortened roofline.

JDM challenger yeap.  do to politics and world events the muscle car was dead, sports cars were junk, and most people ether wonder what the heck were they thinking, or are embarrassed by it.  it was a dumb move on Chryslers part.

the Sierra (at least under Chevy, didn't know ford used it) was just a trim level.  one could argue the current GMC is just a high end Chevy and therefor still is a trim level.  at least the name is still on a truck.

the lightning is another thing im royally infuriated about.  the original lightning was a factory sport truck, a mustang in a truck package.  to slap it on a generic f150 because its electric is lazy and disrespectful to the brand.

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 Ford's early (1964) Mustang ads don't really sell the Mustang as a performance car - more as a step into something new.  Check the internet for 1964 Mustang ads.  It took them a while to head into the performance direction with new options.  The Mustang name is appropriate for a modern car.  Ford carried thru with some Mustang styling themes and they look good on it.  F150 is Ford's brand for everything pickup.  They may be doing the same thing with the Mustang name for cars.

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8 hours ago, PatW said:

Yesterday driving past our local BP station and shop a 1950's Buick, low, a lot of chrome, a rusty looking roof and a low rumble! Very, very rare here in the UK!

I wouldn't be surprised if its from burnham autos, I think they are pretty near you and the owner is a big buick fan

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21 hours ago, stitchdup said:

I wouldn't be surprised if its from burnham autos, I think they are pretty near you and the owner is a big buick fan

If it's their Slough address it's about 40 miles south of us.

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