Even though you can’t drive from certain continents to others in a Ford Mustang, it proves how small the world really is. Globally, people seem to prefer the car in the same few colors.
The Blue Oval icon is currently on sale here in the U.S. and in China; Europeans will get their chance to buy the 2015 Mustang in the middle of this year and they’ve already configured 1.1 million of them on Ford’s Euro websites. Twenty percent of those cars have been Race Red, which is also the number one color in the United Kingdom. Another 20 percent of the Mustangs cyber-built in Europe have been Absolute Black.
The majority of the S550s sold here in the States, the country of predominantly white cars, have been black, as well. Those who don’t choose that color usually go for Magnetic Metallic or Ruby Red. Regardless of color, people just want the Mustang. Its U.S. sales went up 32 percent last month. Ford states it’s the “best-selling sports car in America.”
The 2015 Mustang seems to be doing well in China, too. Ford’s received more than 18,000 requests for test drives in that country. Chinese buyers of the newest version of Ford’s automotive icon have made Race Red the most popular paintjob (35 percent of orders); Oxford White (20 percent) and black (<20 percent) round out the top three colors chosen.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
