The American domestic auto industry has been a shambles for a few years now, so when bad news comes up I’m hardly surprised. Yet this latest news managed to widen my eyes. The Ford Mustang has entered a sales slump. The latest model has been selling strong since it was introduced in 2004. There were wait lists when the car first arrived and I remember reading rapturous reviews of its styling from the automotive media. Suddenly though sales have dropped 19% in the last two months compared with their 2006 level without any clear explanation.

Ford’s strategy to cope seems to assume this is a case of buyer fatigue. As nice as this model is, it’s no longer new and compelling anymore. So Ford will be introducing the Bullitt edition of the Mustang. This will be a dark green colored Mustang designed to evoke comparison to the 1968 Mustang drove by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt. I have to question the wisdom of marketing a car that’s tied to a 39 year old movie. No one under forty will get this reference which seems like a mistake for a pony car. This isn’t an Oldsmobile after all.

This story has a special connection to me because I nearly bought a Mustang. This was early in my car search and I did like how eye catching this new design was. Ultimately though I decided against it because it looked like it was too heavy. The body just seemed fortified like a tank and lacked the swift curves I was looking for. Back in 2005 when I was looking the car over I wasn’t too pleased with the color choices either. I wanted something that would stand out, but the only thing out of the ordinary that Ford offered was this pea soup green color.

Sadly Ford hasn’t really improved the color choices. Here’s a screen capture of what’s available for the 2007 model. You can get it in white, black, a lighter shade of black, blue, a lighter shade of blue, red, a lighter shade of red, two kinds of silver, and orange. Gee, I’m bubbling over with excitement at these innovative choices.

Ford should be offering choices that are a lot bolder. Bold is supposed to be Ford’s new tagline after all. Stripes should also be an option.

All this is just window dressing though. This model is going to be replaced soon anyway. I think the replacement is coming in 2009. It’s really a necessity because by then Chevrolet will have resurrected the Camaro and Dodge will have brought back the Challenger. It’s funny though to have this muscle car renaissance when the public is supposed to be worried about fuel efficiency. I really can’t wait to see how these three cars sell.