Mustang wagon/shooting brake/hatch/tailgate

[HeavyMetalMonk]

98-02 total M coupe North American production was around 2800, a fraction of M3 sales. Won lots of awards from the automotive press, but people were not knocking down doors to buy them.

I have a couple friends at work who love the shooting brake design. Interestingly they don't own one.

If I had to guess, I'd say a Mustang wagon would sell poorly in the States, but maybe pretty well in Europe.

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[H@mmer]

Damn, that first rendering of the black one is *AWESOME*

 

[Stormtrooper5.0]

First pic looks like a Mazda3

 

[Competition Orange]

First pic looks like a Mazda3

No, it looks like a hatchback mustang.

RWD, manual, v8, LSD, hatch? Hell yes I would. When the original photoshop popped up (first picture of the black car) years back I wanted one so bad. I came from a line of GTIs and Golf Rs and would love love love if they could pair the mustang with the practicality of a hatch.

I was actually just looking at these 2 days ago wishing, funny you posted this.

 

[Kinjirra]

No...

Hate any hatchbacks. The only wagon I have ever liked is the 06-07 WRX wagon. Mustang has never been a wagon nor should it ever be a wagon or hatchback.

 

[Indylatenight]

Can you show us on the rendering where the vehicle in question touched you? I know it's tough, take your time.

I never said it TOUCHED me in any way. I voiced my opinion that I thought it was a horrible design. A Mustang is NOT a station wagon and was never conceived to be one.

I'm sorry that you are so offended that someone would have an opinion that did not live up to your views. It's life.... get over it.

 

[sigintel]

A Mustang is NOT a station wagon and was never conceived to be one.

I could understand that perception. The 60s Falcon wagons were already considered to be the mechanical equivalent of a Mustang wagon. The Mustang was mechanically a Falcon. The Falcon was already available in 2 and 4 door wagons. So the Mustang was built on a sedan/coupe/hardtop/2doorwagon/4doorwagon platform. This was McNamara parts bin engineering.

Ford Mustang two and four door wagon consideration occurred in 61, 63, and 64. Possibly as late as 64, 65 if the Ford archivists would “declassify” some stuff.

Your comment might be the most important yet, as it brings up the issue of not if it could mechanically be done, but what effect could it have on market perception of the new Mustang. Was the Mustang to follow the traditional styling roll out of variants including 2,3,4,5 door wagons and possibly a ranchero?
Do you think other Mustang owners would be upset or feel begatively about their own Mustang if a 2/3/4 door brake/wagon/hatch existed? Would it dilute the Mustang appeal?

What about Porsche 911 owners? The design language is now translated across an entire variant line up from SUV to Turismo and sedan.

In theory, Mustang was never conceived to be “only” a 2 door 2+2. Clearly Ford “could have”, but did not execute a wagon. How close they got is a story for Ford archivists and historians.

Maybe it didnt happen then in consideration of how Ford wagons had faired and there was concern of loss of differentiation of the Mustang. Could have risked dilution of a wagon market Ford already hoped to concentrate in the Falcon and Fairlane wagons. Could have simply been that it added cost and the Falcon Wagons already offered what a Mustang wagon would be mechanically.

Ford realized it was very important to keep the 2 door, 2+2 seating in the production Stang versus the 2+0 prototype. Keep in find the Corvette had been around nearly a decade.
The Mustang was to offer the 2+2 as a point of differentiation.
With wagons, the market seemed to indicate adult seating in rear a la wagon required 4 doors (increasing costs) at which point that market was covered by Ranch Wagon, Del Rio, Country Wagon, Country Squire, Fairlane Wagon, etc. (all Ford wagons). Between the full size 4 door wagon variants and the smaller Falcon 2 and 4 door wagons, Ford just didnt need another wagon...
Until now.

I bet a cup of coffee (or a Manhattan) that Ford Design could execute a Mustang styled Flex w Turbo 6 AWD.
As a design exercise only of course, focused on various strategies of accomodating packaging constraints.

One things for sure, I could drive more drunk people home in a Mustang wagon on New Years!
Be safe yall and Happy New Years!

 

[Cobra Jet]

Where in the hell did the term “shooting brake” come from when referring to a “station wagon” - makes absolutely no sense at all!

 

[Zodiac]

I never said it TOUCHED me in any way. I voiced my opinion that I thought it was a horrible design. A Mustang is NOT a station wagon and was never conceived to be one.

I'm sorry that you are so offended that someone would have an opinion that did not live up to your views. It's life.... get over it.

I may have gone too far, dark comedy isn't for everyone.

I wasn't offended by your post in the least bit. I don't get offended, especially on the internet.

 

[TomcatDriver]

Where in the hell did the term “shooting brake” come from when referring to a “station wagon” - makes absolutely no sense at all!

The etymology of the term is rather interesting. A "brake" was a robust carriage (horse carriage) and a shooting brake was a wagon with seating for a hunting party (typically 6 or more), guns and ammunition. Estate wagon or station wagon are all synonymous. In France station wagons are "break de chasse" (hunting break) typically shortened to just break.

In modern usage "shooting brake" is usually a three door coupe wagon, longer and lower than a normal 3 door hatchback although like most automotive terms you will get an argument over exactly what it means if you ask more than one person. The previously mentioned M coupe or Ferrari FF are pretty clear examples but you could arguably include cars like the Dodge Magnum (even with more doors) or the Mercedes CLS63.

 

[Houston Kid]

Nope, nope, and nope. Throw the Calloway Vette in with it. Nope.

 

[FranzVonHoffer]

Where in the hell did the term “shooting brake” come from when referring to a “station wagon” - makes absolutely no sense at all!

Shitz too long to explain. Some wordy British term from back in the last century to describe cars that could carry fire arms but now can carry cargo outside of just a driver and passenger. It's was like an early category term transformed into a euphemism transformed into a catch phrase. But... here it is to shame us.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting-brake

 

[MikeyPee]

This rendering is

 

[sigintel]

Nope, nope, and nope. Throw the Calloway Vette in with it. Nope.

:barf:
Those are hideous in execution. It is incredibly difficult to extend the corvette design language.

 

[SpeedLu]

I honestly don't like any of those, but I know some guys who are wagon fanatics and would probably think they were awesome. There is a Magnum fan club in town with some pretty nice Dodge Magnums so I know the wagon obsession has gas.

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