Last year, the legendary Ford (F) Mustang celebrated its 60th anniversary.
Throughout its storied history, the Mustang has enjoyed miraculous success as both an aspirational and attainable dream car for loyal fans and enthusiasts all over the world. Its aggressive looks, powerful V8 powertrain, and natural star power have drawn its admirers across borderlines and generations.
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But as time went on and automotive trends came and went, Ford tried out some very different and radical changes to the beloved Mustang. In the 80’s, the Blue Oval even considered replacing the all-American pony car with a smaller, more economical Japanese sport coupe.
Though it survived in its current form as a 2-door coupe or convertible, some Ford fanatics discovered that the Blue Oval could be introducing a new Mustang model to join the stable.
A Ford Mustang Dark Horse at the AutoSalon in Brussels, Belgium. According to Ford Authority, the Blue Oval filed a trademark for the ‘Mach 4,’ which describes a possible new 4-door Mustang variant.
Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images
A four-door Mustang?
As first reported by Ford Authority, Ford has filed an application to trademark the name “Mach 4” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Feb. 25, to be used on “Motor vehicles, namely gasoline and electric automobiles, pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles and their structural parts.”
Ford has floated the idea of a four-door Mustang for decades. In the 1960s, Ford made a full-size mockup of a four-door version of the first-generation Mustang, and in the mid-2000s, its designers reportedly created a full-scale Mustang sedan model that was never shown to the public.
Devout Ford fans would also point out that the trademark filing hints at a new Mustang model due to the ‘Mach’ moniker’s close association with the car. Ford started using the Mach name in 1969 when it introduced the Mustang Mach 1, a high-performance variant for discerning drivers that saw revivals between 2003 and 2004 and 2021 through 2023.
Today, the ‘Mach’ name is used on the Mustang Mach-E, the all-electric crossover that Ford sells as a rival to Tesla’s Model Y.
Related: Ford making radical change that might anger loyal consumers
Ford’s CEO is open to the idea.
Last year, it was reported that Ford executives like CEO Jim Farley and Executive Chairman Bill Ford showed off the car during a meeting with its national network of dealers in Las Vegas.
Attendees told AutoNews that they were required to surrender their cell phones as they examined physical mock-ups, photos, and digital renderings of a Mustang-branded four-door called the Mach 4 and an off-road “Baja” model with lifted suspension and off-road tires, similar to Porsche’s 911 Dakar.
Additionally, Farley told Autocar at the Goodwood Member’s Meeting in May 2024 that the lineup could grow beyond its current offerings, including a four-door sedan, granted that it can carry on the name and performance capabilities of the original muscle car.
“We will never build a Mustang that isn’t a Mustang,” he said. “For instance, there will never be room for a small, two-row Ford SUV with a Mustang badge stuck on it. But could we do other Mustang body forms – a four-door or whatever? I believe we could, as long as these models have all the performance and attitude of the original.”
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The idea of a new Mustang with four doors is not entirely far-fetched.
Its nearest rival, Stellantis’s (STLA) newest Dodge Charger, is set to be offered in a variety of electric and gas-powered variants, including two and four-door styles that are set to release at dealers later this year.
In remarks to Autocar, Farley noted that he intends to mirror Porsche’s success by expanding the Mustang brand to more variants; positioning the pony car as America’s Porsche 911.
“Porsche has been smart about creating derivatives [of the 911] over the past 20 years,” he said. “But we wouldn’t want to do things their way. We want to give them a good, American-style run for their money.”
Ford Motor Company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange as F.
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