4LT GS Roadster
Ford narrowly lost the crown in 2010 after a 24-year run, and the gap widened this year, with General Motors Co. (GM)’s revived Camaro outselling Mustang by 33 percent through May. The 1,700- person plant in Flat Rock has just one shift of workers, and its Japanese partner decided last week to pull out.
“The Mustang on its current sales pace isn’t enough to sustain Flat Rock,” said Jeff Schuster, an automotive analyst with researcher J.D. Power & Associates in Troy, Michigan. “The Camaro has a more modern feel and seems to draw more attention from a younger age group.”
The second-largest U.S. automaker is working to increase production of V-6 engines while its designers prepare for a new version in 2014 to restore its cachet. GM started selling a convertible version of the Camaro this year and says the Mustang is one of the top trade-ins for the Chevy sports car.
“They have a huge, loyal base with the Mustang,” John Fitzpatrick, the Camaro’s marketing manager, said in an interview. “We are starting to chip away at that.”
Adding to Mustang’s misery, Mazda Motor Corp. (7261) said last week that it plans to pull its Mazda6 model out of the Michigan assembly plant where Ford also makes the sports car. Ford, which owns half of the factory, said it is working with Mazda and the United Auto Workers union to explore options for the “critical” site.
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