It’s Ford time

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 11, 2007 - Hot on the heels of the new Ford Bullitt Mustang and the new Shelby GT500KR, America’s favorite muscle car drives into its 45th anniversary year sporting a new factory-installed glass roof. The 2009 Ford Glass Roof Mustang provides a third roof option for customers and responds to their growing desire for more natural light. Production of large sunroofs has increased nearly 200 percent in North America since 2003, according to Just-auto.

The growth is driven, in part, by consumers’ daily commute time. The number of consumers with commutes lasting more than 60 minutes grew by almost 50 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The new glass roof will be available as an option on both the V-6 Mustang and Mustang GT beginning next summer.

At $1,995, the new roof provides customers a less expensive option than a convertible, without compromising the coupe’s versatility, headroom or climate-controlled environment. “Mustang is an icon in our product lineup, and we are committed to keeping Mustang news fresh every year,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president, Global Product Development.

“As the automotive landscape becomes increasingly competitive, features such as a panoramic glass roof will help differentiate our products from the competition.” Nearly one out of every two sports cars sold in America is a Mustang, and it remains the best- selling convertible. The new glass roof addresses the fact that 62 percent of buyers in the sports car segment are interested in a sunroof or moonroof on their next vehicle, according to J.D. Power and Associates research.