Ford has announced that it will stop production of the Mustang in its Michigan plant for a week, after sales of the iconic muscle car plunged by 32 per cent in the US.
Production has been ceased at the plant in order to bring output capacity into line with demand, according to Ford, and October 17th is when full production is scheduled to resume.
For the first time in nearly two years, the Chevrolet Camaro outsold the Mustang in America last month, making the Camaro the most popular sports car in the US.
Sales plunge by 32 per cent
As of last year, the Mustang went on sale globally for the first time and Ford’s Michigan factory produces Mustangs for both right-hand drive and left-hand drive markets.
That means that UK-bound Mustangs, which are made at the same plant alongside the other models, will also have their production delayed as the entire factory is temporarily put on ice.
Ford CEO Mark Fields has said that the drop in Mustang sales reflects a dip in the American car market, and that showroom sales of all vehicles, not just the iconic Pony car, are weakening.
British demand still high
However, demand for the car remains extremely high here in the UK and interest in the Mustang and the new Focus RS has seen sales of Ford performance cars rise by 98 per cent in Europe in the past year.
According to Ford’s data, more than half of the new Mustangs sold in the UK are the V8-engined version, while red is the colour most commonly chosen by British buyers.
