Ford May Have Dropped the Shelby Name to Save Millions

[Sherminator98]

As speculated here

https://www.autoblog.com/news/using-shelby-name-was-costing-ford-millions

 

Quote

some quick math shows that $800 per car adds up to millions of dollars per series relatively quickly. Just looking back as far as the S550 generation, the Shelby GT350 and GT350R’s combined 24,211-unit production run would translate to $19,368,800 in royalties. Add in the GT500, of which 14,130 vehicles were produced over three years, and the bill climbs by another $11,304,000. That’s a grand total of $30,672,800, which is big bucks in anybody’s book.

 

[akirby]

I mean, who didn't understand this?

[Sherminator98]

1 hour ago, akirby said:

I mean, who didn't understand this?

 

You'd be surprised...well maybe not 😛

 

[T-dubz]

That was a pretty good deal for Shelby American. I wish ford could have come up with a better name though. Dark horse is fine for a mid level mustang like a Bullitt. I think Mach 1 would have been better to use on the darkhorse sc. I also think the logo looks a bit like an angry kangaroo instead of a horse😆

[scode1]

7 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:

As speculated here

https://www.autoblog.com/news/using-shelby-name-was-costing-ford-millions

 

 

 

I guarantee all $800 of that cost was passed on to the end user so how much did it really cost Ford?

[Joe771476]

There's an episode of The FBI TV show from the late 60's/early 70's and the father of his kidnapped son was driving a beautiful blue Shelby Mustang which one FBI agent referred to by that nomenclature. But the Ford name was not mentioned, This show was a one hour Ford commercial for 9 seasons! More on this another time.

[7Mary3]

42 minutes ago, scode1 said:

 

I guarantee all $800 of that cost was passed on to the end user so how much did it really cost Ford?

 

Yes, and of course now just because Ford doesn't have to pay Shelby American the $800 per car royalty does not mean they have to lower the price $800 either! 

[Sherminator98]

3 hours ago, T-dubz said:

That was a pretty good deal for Shelby American. I wish ford could have come up with a better name though. Dark horse is fine for a mid level mustang like a Bullitt. I think Mach 1 would have been better to use on the darkhorse sc. I also think the logo looks a bit like an angry kangaroo instead of a horse😆

 

Keep in mind the dark horse name also ties in with all the racing series that Ford has the Mustang in also. 

[The Handler]

4 hours ago, T-dubz said:

That was a pretty good deal for Shelby American. I wish ford could have come up with a better name though. Dark horse is fine for a mid level mustang like a Bullitt. I think Mach 1 would have been better to use on the darkhorse sc. I also think the logo looks a bit like an angry kangaroo instead of a horse😆

"Dark Horse" still strikes me as trying too hard IMO. I've always loved the Mach 1 name. Cobra, too.

[akirby]

4 hours ago, 7Mary3 said:

 

Yes, and of course now just because Ford doesn't have to pay Shelby American the $800 per car royalty does not mean they have to lower the price $800 either! 

A corporation trying to maximize profits?  Who knew?

[rmc523]

I don't mind Dark Horse.

 

 

But I'll still stand firm in my opinion that "Dark Horse SC" is a stupid name/doesn't sound like a "top dog" version (GTD doesn't count since it's in a different stratosphere).

[Schpark]

New product; The Angry Kangaroo!

[morgan20]

6 hours ago, rmc523 said:

But I'll still stand firm in my opinion that "Dark Horse SC" is a stupid name/doesn't sound like a "top dog" version (GTD doesn't count since it's in a different stratosphere).

 

Shelby American has its own top dog version with Super Snake-R, but it's sold out for 2026 model year.

 

[twintornados]

23 hours ago, rmc523 said:

I don't mind Dark Horse.

 

But I'll still stand firm in my opinion that "Dark Horse SC" is a stupid name/doesn't sound like a "top dog" version (GTD doesn't count since it's in a different stratosphere).

 

Yeah, I agree that "Dark Horse SC" sounds a bit like a equine themed whiskey bar in a Native American casino in South Carolina to me.... 

[jpd80]

The Shelby name had a reach to higher prices that no amount of Dark Horse SC can ever match.

I think Ford cut off its nose to spit its face and just showed how cheap the accountants are.

Edited April 25 by jpd80

[akirby]

2 hours ago, jpd80 said:

The Shelby name had a reach to higher prices that no amount of Dark Horse SC can ever match.

I think Ford cut off its nose to spit its face and just showed how cheap the accountants are.

I don't think buyers care about the name just the performance.

[jpd80]

58 minutes ago, akirby said:

I don't think buyers care about the name just the performance.

You and Ford are on the same wavelength with performance and pricing and at one time,

the Shelby name meant something for exclusivity and premium price.

So I’m prepared to accept that I’m wrong and perhaps the time for needing Shelby name 

has passed into history. Adding the name used to be a win-win for Ford and Shelby but

i guess now the accountants have won again and it’s all about Ford cutting out things

that don’t matter anymore..

Edited April 25 by jpd80

[akirby]

43 minutes ago, jpd80 said:

You and Ford are on the same wavelength with performance and pricing and at one time,

the Shelby name meant something for exclusivity and premium price.

So I’m prepared to accept that I’m wrong and perhaps the time for needing Shelby name 

has passed into history. Adding the name used to be a win-win for Ford and Shelby but

i guess now the accountants have won again and it’s all about Ford cutting out things

that don’t matter anymore..

how many 20/30 somethings even know who Carroll Shelby was?

[jpd80]

19 minutes ago, akirby said:

how many 20/30 somethings even know who Carroll Shelby was?

• Model Split:
  • EcoBoost/Base: Appeals to younger, first-time buyers seeking affordability.
  • GT/High Performance: Targets an older, often wealthier demographic focusing on heritage and power.
• Mustang Mach-E: Attracts a different, younger, and more tech-savvy, eco-conscious consumer

Once again, Ford is missing its actual buyer base….

[akirby]

3 minutes ago, jpd80 said:

 

Once again, Ford is missing its actual buyer base….

Not following you

[jpd80]

40 minutes ago, akirby said:

Not following you

The people who buy GTs, Dark Horse and Shelby are mostly a bay boomers and Gen X.

Once their number die away, Ford will end ICE Mustang, they’re keeping the door open for them

[DeluxeStang]

6 minutes ago, jpd80 said:

The people who buy GTs, Dark Horse and Shelby are mostly a bay boomers and Gen X.

Once their number die away, Ford will end ICE Mustang, they’re keeping the door open for them

I don't know about that, I'm a young millennial, basically a year off being gen z, and I look forward to the day where I'm able to buy an ICE mustang, a V8 specifically. The passion is still there with younger enthusiasts, and the connection to a V8 muscle car is still there. 

 

Is it possible that Ford one day offers an EV mustang coupe instead of an ICE variant, but I believe that say is way into the future. The mustang is the most iconic car Ford has, arguably the most iconic car in the world, or near the top. So Ford needs to do whatever it takes to keep the coupe around. 

 

Once the mustang coupe is gone, Ford basically ceases to be Ford. I'm betting that's one of the main vehicle programs getting the skunkworks approach moving forward. 

[jpd80]

2 hours ago, DeluxeStang said:

I don't know about that, I'm a young millennial, basically a year off being gen z, and I look forward to the day where I'm able to buy an ICE mustang, a V8 specifically. The passion is still there with younger enthusiasts, and the connection to a V8 muscle car is still there. 

 

Is it possible that Ford one day offers an EV mustang coupe instead of an ICE variant, but I believe that say is way into the future. The mustang is the most iconic car Ford has, arguably the most iconic car in the world, or near the top. So Ford needs to do whatever it takes to keep the coupe around. 

 

Once the mustang coupe is gone, Ford basically ceases to be Ford. I'm betting that's one of the main vehicle programs getting the skunkworks approach moving forward. 

Ford is deliberately keeping the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Mustang coupe in production, largely targeting Baby Boomers and Gen X buyers who cherish the traditional V8 muscle car experience, as competitors like Dodge and Chevrolet phase out their V8 models. That is not to say ther aren’t younger buyers but they are definitely in the minority and mostly prefer the Ecoboost version.
 

While Ford embraces an electric future with the Mustang Mach-E, CEO Jim Farley has committed to keeping the iconic petrol-powered coupe alive, with the seventh-generation S650 model expected to continue through at least 2028. So it’s up to younger buyers, if they want the V8 Mustang to live on, then it’s up to them to buy it.

Edited April 26 by jpd80

[akirby]

8 hours ago, jpd80 said:

Ford is deliberately keeping the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Mustang coupe in production, largely targeting Baby Boomers and Gen X buyers who cherish the traditional V8 muscle car experience, as competitors like Dodge and Chevrolet phase out their V8 models. That is not to say ther aren’t younger buyers but they are definitely in the minority and mostly prefer the Ecoboost version.
 

While Ford embraces an electric future with the Mustang Mach-E, CEO Jim Farley has committed to keeping the iconic petrol-powered coupe alive, with the seventh-generation S650 model expected to continue through at least 2028. So it’s up to younger buyers, if they want the V8 Mustang to live on, then it’s up to them to buy it.

I would speculate that price is a bigger factor there than market desires.  

[fuzzymoomoo]

10 hours ago, jpd80 said:

Ford is deliberately keeping the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Mustang coupe in production, largely targeting Baby Boomers and Gen X buyers who cherish the traditional V8 muscle car experience, as competitors like Dodge and Chevrolet phase out their V8 models. That is not to say ther aren’t younger buyers but they are definitely in the minority and mostly prefer the Ecoboost version.
 

While Ford embraces an electric future with the Mustang Mach-E, CEO Jim Farley has committed to keeping the iconic petrol-powered coupe alive, with the seventh-generation S650 model expected to continue through at least 2028. So it’s up to younger buyers, if they want the V8 Mustang to live on, then it’s up to them to buy it.

Im exactly in the demographic you speak of. Would I love to buy a brand new Mustang GT? Absolutely. Can I afford one? Fuck no, and I don’t ever see that changing. I’m not the only one.