1974年的福特野马,一个更小更轻的设计,标志着美国原始小马车的一个新的开始。这是李·艾柯卡(Lee Iacocca)的想法,他在十年前制造了第一辆野马。这款车被恰当地命名为野马II,最终将被视为野马自豪历史中的一个低谷。但一开始肯定不是这样的。
成功往往既来自聪明和努力,也来自常识和愚蠢的运气。野马II就是一个很好的例子。作为自原版以来最小、最轻的野马,这是福特小马车的一个新开始,也是理性的令人耳目一新的回归。而且它推出的时机再好不过了,就在第一次“能源危机”颠覆美国的两个月前。人们成群结队地来看野马II,并购买。
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第一年的销量达到了惊人的385,993辆,距离最初野马的12个月产量纪录418,812辆不到10%。当然,早在石油输出国组织(OPEC)决定压缩世界石油供应之前,野马II就已经在研制中了。它几乎同时出现只是巧合,不过对福特来说是一个幸运的突破。
从几个方面来看,野马II展示了汽车世界的历史是如何重演的。18新利最新登入首先,Lee Iaccoca只是知道市场已经准备好了,就像他怀疑最初的野马是适合那个时代的车一样。到1970年,小马车逐渐失宠,许多买家转向价格更低、省油的紧凑型车,比如福特自己的Maverick——这款车在第一年就取得了巨大成功。
但美国人也转向了运动型的2+2进口轿跑车,比如福特自己的英国/德国卡普里(Capri),它在1970年4月受到好评,最初需求强劲。另一款“自产进口”——通用汽车在德国生产的欧宝曼塔(Opel Manta)销售良好,而丰田的塞利卡(Celica)则更受欢迎。1965年,这种“迷你小马车”的销量不到10万辆,但到1972年,销量达到了30万辆左右,预计到1974年将超过40万辆。野马II的任务是在这个巨大的新蛋糕中分得一大块。福特design vice president Eugene Bordinat gave full credit to Iacocca for the Mustang II: "[He] was the first guy to come along [at Ford] who had the feeling for cars that had existed in General Motors for some time." For his part, Iacocca observed: "When I look at the foreign-car market and see that one in five is a sporty car, I know something's happening. Look at what the Celica started to do before the two devaluations [of the dollar] nailed it! Anyone who decides to sit this out just ain't gonna dance!"But Ford didn't start out to start over. The Mustang II program actually dates from around the middle of 1969, when work began on what was then simply the next Mustang. With muscle-car mania still raging, first thoughts inevitably centered on larger, heavier-looking designs, reflecting Ford's belief that buyers would still want roomy, "impressive" pony cars in the mid-Seventies.In fact, early proposals were even more hulking than the '71 Mustang then nearing completion. But by the time Iacocca became Ford Motor Company president in 1970, the bottom had dropped out of the pony car market, and the imported Capri -- which Iacocca said was more like the original "than any Mustang we have today" -- was doing solid business at Lincoln-Mercury dealers.Iacocca had never liked Bunkie Knudsen's '71 Mustang, and it wasn't just because the man who backed it had been favored with the president's chair. Iacocca had been troubled by Mustang's course since 1966. He wasn't alone.As author Gary Witzenburg related, the grumbling had been going on at least since 1968. At that year's stockholders meeting, one Anna Muccioli, who owned a '65 Mustang, rose to ask Henry Ford II: "Why can't you just leave a small car small?…[Y]ou keep blowing them up and starting another little one, blow that one up and start another one…[W]hy don't you just leave them?"
但美国人也转向了运动型的2+2进口轿跑车,比如福特自己的英国/德国卡普里(Capri),它在1970年4月受到好评,最初需求强劲。另一款“自产进口”——通用汽车在德国生产的欧宝曼塔(Opel Manta)销售良好,而丰田的塞利卡(Celica)则更受欢迎。1965年,这种“迷你小马车”的销量不到10万辆,但到1972年,销量达到了30万辆左右,预计到1974年将超过40万辆。野马II的任务是在这个巨大的新蛋糕中分得一大块。福特design vice president Eugene Bordinat gave full credit to Iacocca for the Mustang II: "[He] was the first guy to come along [at Ford] who had the feeling for cars that had existed in General Motors for some time." For his part, Iacocca observed: "When I look at the foreign-car market and see that one in five is a sporty car, I know something's happening. Look at what the Celica started to do before the two devaluations [of the dollar] nailed it! Anyone who decides to sit this out just ain't gonna dance!"But Ford didn't start out to start over. The Mustang II program actually dates from around the middle of 1969, when work began on what was then simply the next Mustang. With muscle-car mania still raging, first thoughts inevitably centered on larger, heavier-looking designs, reflecting Ford's belief that buyers would still want roomy, "impressive" pony cars in the mid-Seventies.In fact, early proposals were even more hulking than the '71 Mustang then nearing completion. But by the time Iacocca became Ford Motor Company president in 1970, the bottom had dropped out of the pony car market, and the imported Capri -- which Iacocca said was more like the original "than any Mustang we have today" -- was doing solid business at Lincoln-Mercury dealers.Iacocca had never liked Bunkie Knudsen's '71 Mustang, and it wasn't just because the man who backed it had been favored with the president's chair. Iacocca had been troubled by Mustang's course since 1966. He wasn't alone.As author Gary Witzenburg related, the grumbling had been going on at least since 1968. At that year's stockholders meeting, one Anna Muccioli, who owned a '65 Mustang, rose to ask Henry Ford II: "Why can't you just leave a small car small?…[Y]ou keep blowing them up and starting another little one, blow that one up and start another one…[W]hy don't you just leave them?"
出乎她意料的是,这位董事长表示同意。“希望我们能记住您在这里说的话,希望我们能生产出令您满意的产品。”
为了向过去致敬,艾柯卡发起了一场内部设计竞赛,以开发下一款野马。详情在下一页。
有关福特野马的更多信息,请查看以下链接。
- 为美国最受欢迎的跑车的完整故事做好准备。18新利最新登入福特野马如何工作记录了从20世纪60年代初开始到今天的全新野马的传奇。
- 1971年,一辆更大、更结实的野马(Mustang)飞驰而来,当时买家正从小马车市场撤离。在1971-1972-1973年的福特野马,了解汽车如何仍然提供高级风格。18新利最新登入
- 野马开始了第二次革命的帅气,复杂的“新品种”。1979-1980-1981年福特野马讲述了hit如何在展厅和粉丝心18新利最新登入中获得巨大成功。
- 有关2007年福特野马的完整报告,请查看消费者指南新车评论。在这里,你可以找到数百辆轿车、卡车、小型货车和suv的路测结果、照片、规格和价格。
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