With the 2023 UAW strike over, both Ford and the union have started to focus on the future of their respective organizations. For the union, that involves organizing plants belonging to non-unionized automakers. For The Blue Oval, its immediate priority is getting production at plants impacted by the strike back on track, so it can set itself up to close out 2023 as strongly as possible. Additionally, the automaker is currently ramping up production of the S650 Ford Mustang, with the 2024 representing the first model year of the redesigned pony car. Although the current generation is still in its relative infancy, several outlets have recently reported that its demise may arrive sooner than expected, based on a UAW document highlighting Ford’s future investment strategy for every plant located in the United States. But even a cursory glance at the document reveals that the S650 very likely has a future beyond the current contract.
At the very least, S650 Ford Mustang production will continue through April 2028, which is when the UAW contract recently ratified by Ford workers will expire. There is nothing in the text of the document that remotely suggests that Flat Rock Assembly will cease to produce the current generation in 2028, and it’s not clear why certain individuals were stymied by it. The purpose of that particular section of the UAW Ford agreement is to outline what commitments the union was able to secure from Ford, and to summarize the automaker’s intentions for every assembly plant that falls under the agreement. It’s entirely possible that the company’s plans will change, but as of this writing, S650 Ford Mustang production is not ending in 2028, and the agreement is our best and most official source that it will continue, at minimum, through the first quarter of that year.
Beyond the UAW agreement with Ford, all other information related to the future of the S650 Ford Mustang is unofficial. As Ford Authority previously reported, some outlets have stated that the current generation could go away as early as 2029. But earlier reporting that cited suppliers suggests an eight year production run for the S650, which would mean it could continue being produced into the next decade, with an end date of around 2031.
That said, it’s entirely possible that the S650 Ford Mustang will be the last gasoline-powered pony car to be sold by the automaker. This summer, Ford CEO Jim Farley surmised that a fully electric Mustang would be less palatable than a hybrid variant, a possible hint that the future of the muscle car lies in partial electrification. Beyond that, the future is murky and uncertain, and there is no indication that the recently introduced model will be produced for a relatively short production run of five years.
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Comment
Well, I’m certainly not good at reading the tealeaves here, but when it’s listed that the Mustang will continue, does that mean in its current ICE form, or some amended form? I don’t know how much vagary is permitted in a contract agreement as it pertains to future products and specifically what form they’ll take.