They’re not going after enthusiasts per se.  They’re just going after more buyers that are passionate about their vehicles and aren’t simply buying the cheapest thing they can find.  Go follow some Bronco Sport or Maverick groups or forums and you’ll see what I mean.

You’re focusing too much on history and changes.  Instead pretend you’re a buyer who doesn’t know all this history and inside info - how does the current Mustang compare with other similar vehicles?  Just because they killed Camaro and Charger it doesn’t mean there aren’t other options.  Germans have the performance but cost way more.  Asians can’t match the performance.   Yes there are lots of little things that are frustrating like deleting floor mats but show me anything else that can match Mustang on both price and performance.

Picked it up this afternoon, the 22nd, and am thrilled. The Black Agate Metallic paint and Mojave Dusk interior make quite a good looking package in my opinion. The bells and whistles are very foreign to me but I'll figure them out about the time the loan is paid off. It was subjected to a random audit which was a 16 mile test drive at the factory. Don't know if the audit includes anything else. The 24" tire/wheel combination is impressive. I feel as though the interior is wider as I sit behind the wheel. I've only driven about 30 miles but so far I like it. Hope my experience is not unique.   CJ Dave.

True, but it sounds like Ford is trying to break away from the commodity market, and chase after the enthusiasts market more heavily. We'll see how committed they actually are to that strategy and how far it goes.    As you stated, enthusiasts notice this stuff a lot more than casual consumers do. Casual consumers might not care if a product is redesigned often, but enthusiasts will. 

I just can’t believe that most buyers actually look deeply into number of recalls, or affected number of vehicles, etc.  My guess (and that’s all it is) is that they consider and value the manufacturer’s reputation as reported by media and friends alike, whether that ranking is deserved or not.  Results from article below reflect what many repeat; again, whether accurate or not.  Most people I know believe Toyotas are great, Hondas are great, etc.  Fords I think are viewed as average for the most part.   https://fordauthority.com/2025/05/americans-say-ford-has-good-reputation-but-vibes-are-down-from-2024/

In my opinion your premise is incorrect because Ford on average is not making that much profit per vehicle.  If they lowered prices their profitability would be even lower, and it’s not that great now.  Essentially they are not laughing their way to the bank (I know you didn’t mean it literally).  Some would say they are somewhat struggling.   What I think is actually happening is that Ford’s cost to manufacture vehicles on average is higher than many competitors’, and therefore can not do what you want — invest in new/updated products or lower prices (or a combination of the two).   Obviously they make more profit on some models, but part of that profit is required to subsidize models that make much less profit (it averages out).  If they could have a hit in every segment, of course they would.  But that’s not realistic.  For now they need to claw their way back to the top by reducing costs and developing new vehicles that will result in high demand (which leads to greater margins).  Unfortunately that takes money, which isn’t free.

450s are not scheduled and built like 250s and 350s.  Some have taken over a year but some of that was supply issues left over from Covid.     Why not a F350?

Of course knowing GM history, one has to wonder if they are hiding something. 😂. 

I also think you might be looking at this too hard an auto enthusiast-the average buyer equates buying a car like buying a toaster or refrigerator...but even a more unpleasant experience due to the way many dealerships operate.  It also explains why things like the Camry or Accord where so successful for their time-they where default boring go tos because of a perceived quality value they may or may not have now.  

To clarify, the point I'm trying to make is if you want to charge a lot of money for your products, there's nothing wrong with that. But I want to be able to see a tangible benefit to said product that goes beyond "We're the only game in town so we can charge whatever we want".    Inversely, if you're gonna pad out your product cycles, and offer products that are more outdated than a lot of rivals, I do believe you should offer lower prices so you have some sort of competitive advantage.    But leaving products on the vine while your rivals constantly keep theirs fresh, while simultaneously trying to charge as much as your rivals is a losing strategy. Yes, you need to ask how can you generate a respectable profit margin in the moment. But you also need to consider how the sorts of products you sell, and the sorts of prices you're charging, are going to influence your public perception decades down the line.    Yes, my stance is more consumer sided. But I also want Ford to be a respect brand 50 years from now. If you overcharge people now, you might be laughing all the way to the bank. But there's a good chance that'll end up biting you in the ass in the future if Ford becomes synonymous with overcharging it's consumers.