There’s a new S650-generation version of the Ford Mustang called the GT/CS, with CS standing for California Special. This $2,000 package adds a splash of ugly blue to this beautiful Mustang, including grille channels, wheels, blue badges, blue leather, interior stitching, and a side stripe package. Ford revived the GT/CS as an equipment package in 2007, and has been offering it consistently on new Mustangs ever since. Some looked very good, but this scenario is a real swing scenario.
When Ford first launched the California Special in 1968, it was available exclusively at in-state dealers and was created by the California Ford Dealers Association. With a few Shelby parts and a GT/CS-specific striping package, the car looked custom and interesting. Production was only available for half a year, and approximately 5,000 examples were built. It’s a great piece of Mustang history.
This blue package can be added to any Mustang GT, whether coupe or convertible, automatic or manual. They can be ordered from any dealer in the world, so they are not limited to California.
The Mustang GT California Special will appear before the public at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 16, but you can already specify your specifications and place an order for the car on Ford’s website.
I can’t help but feel that Ford could have done something meaningful with its GT/CS brand. The California Special was originally developed in 1968 to appeal to California custom-culture buyers, a sect of West Coast car buyers that didn’t exist anywhere else. Ford had the opportunity to unveil a limited run of Mustang hybrids or battery-electric sports cars in California only, possibly matching the GT/CS’s original production of 5,000 units.
Ford says the entire Mustang lineup will be electric within five years, and has spent significant time and money developing a hybrid Mustang for the 2024 model year (which has since been cancelled). This would have been a great way to get people used to the idea of a plug-in Mustang. Maybe I took a flight to California only to overpay for it.
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