Prices for all-new Mustang revealed for Kiwi buyers

5 March, 2015

For the first time in its half-century existence, the 2015 Ford Mustang is finally being sold in New Zealand through Ford dealers — and Ford’s global platform means right-hand drive!

Ford have announced the retail price for these new additions to their line-up, and they’re pretty sharp. Prices start at $56,990 for a fastback, equipped with 2.3-litre EcoBoost and automatic transmission. Top of the line is the V8 GT convertible, equipped with six-speed automatic, retailing for $76,990. The popular manual V8 GT is only available as a fastback, and wears a retail price of $71,990.

Though an official release date is yet to be announced, Ford New Zealand’s website says the 2015 Mustang is “coming soon” — exciting news!

The motor car as an art form

We have certainly come a long way since the exhibition entitled 8 Automobiles, shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the autumn of 1951, the first exhibition concerned with the aesthetics of motor car design.
It was here that the often-used term ‘rolling sculpture’ was coined by curator Philip C Johnson, director of the department of architecture and design, when he said, “An automobile is a familiar 20th century artefact, and is no less worthy of being judged for its visual appeal than a building or a chair. Automobiles are hollow, rolling sculptures, and their design refinements are fascinating. We have selected cars whose details and basic design suggest that automobiles, besides being America’s most useful objects, could be a source of visual experience more enjoyable than they now are.”

More to the point

This Daimler SP252 is so rare, few people know it exists. It’s one of a kind. It’s the only surviving, in fact the only SP252 ever completed; the would-be successor to the SP250 Daimler Dart. It is also the last sports car to have been designed by Jaguar’s legendary founder, Sir William Lyons.
Perhaps one of the original Dart’s biggest problems was it’s somewhat-divisive looks. It certainly went well enough to win fans, although Sir William wasn’t among them. It crushed the opposition in the Bathurst six-hour race, finishing five laps ahead of anyone else, and it was snapped up by police forces in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, as it was the fastest thing on the road.
So you’d think a stunning new body with the magic Lyons touch would have been a surefire success. Why this car never made it into production is still something of a mystery, as the official explanations barely stack up.