After the success of the Ford Puma, the American manufacturer is looking to revive some more iconic names from its archives. The brand states that this may also be a move to remain competitive as newer brands have started to see more success.
Speaking to Autocar, Ford Chief Designer of Europe, Murat Gueler states that the design of previous-generation Fiestas did not influence the recent facelift of the current car, and that retro design tribute models such as the Lamborghini Countach will not be a feature of any upcoming Ford models. Instead, the brand is more likely to nod to its past successes by bringing back select monikers.
“The industry is in its craziest time ever since I joined 20 years ago, and I’ve never seen it so disruptive as it is now. There’s a lot of stuff coming onto the market and consumers are bombarded with all kinds of products and information,” he said.
“There’s a lot of stuff coming from China which is very competitive, and the Koreans are already very competitive with beautiful designs and strong technology, so the question for manufacturers like Ford is ‘how do you position yourself?,
“I think we have the unique asset of having nameplates from the past that we can tap into to emotionalise our product and to tell stories no other brand can tell.”
Gueler didn’t reveal which names the brand is set on reviving but he did say “an opportunity for Ford to distinguish itself from the bombardment of electrification that’s coming”.
There were “a lot of sceptics” when Ford launched the all-electric Mustang Mach-E, Gueler admits, “but it turns out it was the right thing to do, because the Mustang name gives a gravitas to the product which maybe otherwise wouldn’t exist.
“There is opportunity with nameplates that you can really refresh and execute in the right way to distinguish yourself from others.”
