- Ford CEO confirms that the stick shift isn’t going anywhere.
- Jim Farley says that the company “Doesn’t Build Boring Cars.”
- He made the remarks during Ford’s Red Bull F1 debut weekend.
When most automakers talk about the road ahead, the focus is on electric range, software updates, and self-driving tech. But, at the Ford Motor Company, there thankfully is still a firm grip on something far more mechanical. CEO Jim Farley has made it very clear that the manual transmission in the Ford Mustang is not quietly slipping away as it has with so many others.
Farley did not mince words. In fact, he said that the stick shift would be taken “out of our cold, dead hands.” The comments were made at the debut race for the company’s new partnership with Red Bull Racing, with Farley speaking to CarExpert ahead of the Melbourne GP.
Read: Ford’s Gas Mustang Nearly Outsold Its Entire EV Lineup
We all know that manual gearboxes have been going extinct faster than the dinosaurs. Just ask BMW. Tighter emissions standards, smarter automatics, and shifting buyer habits have led many brands to give up on the clutch pedal altogether. Even in the sports car world, lightning-fast dual-clutch transmissions now dominate spec sheets and drag strips.
But apparently, the Mustang holds a different meaning for Ford. For the company, the good old ‘Stang is not all about acceleration numbers, nor bowing to the trends. A row-you-own shifter means that the driver is forced to be involved, and it’s a cry from enthusiasts that even BMW recently hinted it may not always honor, citing how complex development can be with modern requirements.
Sticiking To A Manual Is Significant
That interaction is part of what made the Mustang a cultural icon in the first place. The latest generation still has a six-speed manual option with the V8-powered GT. That decision was not automatic. Developing and certifying a manual in today’s regulatory climate is an expensive endeavor. Supply chains are optimized for high-volume automatic units. In a purely business-oriented fashion, it would be easier to drop it.
Also: BMW M Manuals Stay For Now, But The Clock Is Ticking
Yet a meaningful percentage of the Mustang buyers continues to choose the stick. Ford has admitted that demand is still strong enough to keep it alive for enthusiasts. “I really believe Ford best serves the working people and enthusiast drivers,” said Farley. “And that’s increasingly off-road as well as on-road, and I like to say we don’t have any boring cars at Ford.”
