An automotive design icon, the Ford Mustang Convertible in silver blue from 1965.
A designer and his favourite car.
As a total automotive work of art, the Mustang fits perfectly with the philosophy and working methods of Düsseldorf designer Karl Schwitzke. The characteristic design with high recognition value founded a whole generation of Pony Cars. As a sporty four-seater with simple technology but an impressive V8 engine with 4.7 litres displacement, approx. 200 hp and a great sound, the car still inspires today and enjoys great popularity in all generations.
A Designer And His Favorite Car
That’s what you want to achieve as a designer, to create memorable things with a great likeability factor using the simplest of means. Gale Halderman and Joe Orso succeeded in doing a great job, especially when you consider that the price at the start of sales was a very moderate US$2,368.
I first “met” my Mustang in the USA. In the early 80s, I worked for two years at Associated Space Design in Atlanta, sponsored by the Carl Duisburg Society. While looking for an inexpensive car, I came across the Ford Mustang at an old lady’s house. At a price of US$6,000, unfortunately, further out of my financial reach. I ended up with a 69 Chrysler New Yorker for US$650 – but the dream was born.
In 2003, my wife was heavily pregnant with our third son and didn’t want to travel any more, so I took my two boys (11 + 13) on a road trip to Copenhagen in a camper van. Boys’ destinations were on the agenda: Hamburg harbour, St. Peter Ording, Legoland, the Great Belt Bridge, the ferry to Rostock, the Windjammer Parade and Carmania in Hamburg, the Mustang specialist.
And there it was: same year of construction (65), same colour, same sound and perfectly restored. My boys were thrilled. My first real impulse purchase combined with so many positive memories. Driving the Mustang is great fun, and being on the road with the Mustang is extremely communicative. There is hardly a car that provokes so many positive conversations, it is a very likeable car.
