Cruising ‘Main Street’ or just chilling at the drive-in, US car radios were cranked to max back in 1968 to songs such ‘Light My Fire’ by The Doors – many of which were coming from cars that themselves lit the fires of imagination and went on to become an icon.
This was the Ford Mustang California Special that was inspired by the 1967 Shelby GT notchback coupé prototype that Ford then produced in limited numbers in 1968.
Now, the new California Special will be offered locally exclusively in Fastback coupé body style and is limited to just 100 units and will be made available locally.
A special-edition design package with unique badging and detailing, 19-inch alloy wheels and special ‘colour shift’ California Special decals is matched to Ford’s 330 kW V8 petrol engine and 10-speed automatic transmission.
“The California Special is a huge part of the Mustang’s legacy in America and it symbolises so much of what Mustang stands for – the joy of driving and the freedom of the open road. Those ideals resonate just as strongly with driving enthusiasts and Mustang fans in South Africa. It’s about time customers got to experience the unique California Special blend of style, performance and driving fun,” says Doreen Mashinini, General Manager for Marketing at Ford South Africa.
In keeping with the original, the new version has a honeycomb black front grille, the lower side stripes and GT/CS logos, including a hidden ‘California Special’ script that hides away in low light but emerges as the light becomes brighter.
“The success of the standard Mustang models and the addition of exclusive limited-edition variants, such as the Mustang Mach 1 which was introduced last year, certainly adds to the appeal of what is undeniably one of the world’s most recognisable and revered automotive nameplates,” Mashinini concludes.
