Ford hasn’t hopped on the matte paint trend straight from the factory quite yet, but as Ford Authority exclusively reported earlier this month, The Blue Oval is considering adding matte paint colors to its lineup. And now, it seems that Ford might be testing matte colors, as we recently spotted a 2021 Ford Mustang Bullitt running around the automaker’s campus wearing a Matte Dark Highland Green paint scheme.
The sighting of this matte Mustang Bullitt doesn’t necessarily indicate that there’s a new iteration of the special edition Mustang on the way. Rather, Ford is likely testing out a factory matte paint color it intends to offer in the future and chose to try it out on this Bullitt. An interesting detail that should be noted here is that this Bullitt was wearing manufacturer plates, so the possibility of this being someone’s personal car that was wrapped is out of the question. Whatever the case, the special edition Mustang wears it well.
It’s worth noting that matte finishes are more on the expensive side and generally require more conscientious levels of care. Both factors could dissuade demand for such colors.
As a reminder, the last Ford Mustang Bullitt rolled off the Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant in late 2020, marking the end of the special edition pony car’s run. It was built as a tribute to the legendary movie car driven by Steve McQueen in Bullitt. Power for the S550 model was sourced from an upgraded version of the Ford 5.0L V8 Coyote rated at 480 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. It was mated exclusively to the MT82 six-speed manual transmission. Interestingly, the Mustang Bullitt proved to be more popular overseas than in the U.S.
The fact that Ford seems to be testing a matte paint option shows that The Blue Oval adapts to changing trends in the color and trim part of the house. In fact, Ford acknowledged last year that bronze wheels are a trend. Now, the automaker is offering a Bronze Design Series Appearance Package on the all-new, 2024 Mustang.
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Comments
They ruined it! No paint glows so deeply as DHG on a Bullitt. I know because I just waxed my 2019 Bullitt. They ruined it.
And here, I was always told that a flat color will absorb more of the sun’s solar rays versus a clear coat, which will deflect the rays off the paint. In other words, long term ownership of a matte finish is going to result in a shortened paint life.
What’s next, a Raptor-Lined Highland Green Bullitt?
Not sure what the attraction to matte paint is other than for some stripes. It looks like a 20 year old weathered paint job, and looks like crap next to a really glossy finished car.
Matte finish is utterly stupid. Looks terrible, inpossible to keep clean. The previously brilliant russo Ferrari F1 cars now look rediculous in matte red.
Matte finishes are bad.
1. can’t apply a clear stoneguard wrap on the front to protect against rock chips
2. bug guts stain matte finishes.
3. you can’t rub too hard when removing bug guts or other blemishes, because you’ll accidentally polish that section of paint.
4. good luck colour matching if you need to repaint anything.