BEHIND ENEMY LINES

FORD ENTERS NEW TERRITORY AT MACH 1 AND ENGAGES A FORMIDABLE OPPONENT

- CAMERON KIRBY

IN OCTOBER 14, 1968, the famously benign Switzerland initiated an unprovoked military attack on its diminutive neighbour, Liechtenstein. The target was the Malbun ski resort, which was hit with five artillery shells in a dominant show of force. It would have been quite a shock for the largely defenceless European microstate, which occupies an area roughly a hundred square kilometres smaller than the regional Victorian city of Bendigo. That is if it hadn’t been for one thing. Switzerland, the larger aggressor both in terms of physical size and outright power, initiated the assault completely by accident and apologised profusely.

Thankfully, the only casualties were a handful of outdoor dining chairs.

This, oddly enough, goes some way to explaining Ford’s accidentally hostile strategy with the Mach 1 Mustang.

When the Mustang first landed in Australia in 2016 the flagship 5.0-litre V8 powered GT cost a smidge less than $60K, making it a natural rival to the final Holden Commodore SS-V, and not much else. Its relative affordability paired with 306kW of naturally aspirated V8 power and iconic coupe styling made it a sales hit, and it’s easy to understand why.

Now five years later, in a perfect display of mission creep, the flagship Mach 1 Mustang costs more than $80,000, putting it in the same financial ballpark as cars it never intended to compete against on initial launch.

Ford has made small incremental bumps in performance and exclusivity to match the increased price, with 345kW now being deployed by the special-edition ’Stang (along with a raft of new go-fast mechanical additions), of which just 700 are coming Down Under.