Ford Mustang Appreciation In Malaysia Is Increasing.
Ford Motor made a smart decision when they decided to make the current Mustang a global product. This coming April, the Ford Mustang will be 57 years old and it has never been more popular around the globe. Its fastest growing market outside of North America has to be Malaysia where the ownership and enthusiast’s movement is at an all time high and growing.
When Ford Malaysia and its distributor, Sime Darby Auto Connexion first teased the possibility of their Mustang sports car coming to Malaysia, it was at the 2013 KLIMS. The Mustang on display was the previous generation model and its social media attention gave Ford in the region a reason to introduce their latest version in Malaysia three years later in 2016.
This sixth-generation Ford Mustang arrived in Malaysia in two Fastback variant. These were the Mustang 2.3L EcoBoost and the big brother Mustang GT which had a 5.0L badge and lots of grunt under the hood. Both were premium models with a ‘Performance Pack’ added on and were largely similar to Australian imported specification Ford Mustang.
The Mustang 2.3L EcoBoost Mustang was priced at RM488,888, while the 5.0L GT V8 Mustang was priced at RM598,888, both on-the-road prices without insurance. Yes, not that high when you consider what the German sports car brands were retailing at.
In the past 4 years the Mustang ownership in Malaysia has grown faster than most other supercar models and recently in September 2020 we saw the largest Ford Mustang gathering to date, with a total of 137 Mustangs from the Mustang Club Malaysia having a get-together at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. This has earned the club a place in the Malaysia Book of Records.
At this impressive gathering there were also some classic well restored Ford Mustangs on display and even some super rare models from the iconic movie Bullitt featuring Steve McQueen.
Formed in 2018, the Mustang Club Malaysia currently has 245 members nationwide. The formation of this club was to share information regarding the new Mustang, in addition to promoting safe and responsible driving habits while out on the road in these high-powered American muscle cars. Furthermore, the club provides a platform for enthusiasts of this iconic Ford to ‘embrace and build comradeship through a common interest.’
Today, an unregistered Ford Mustang from an AP importer can be yours from RM215,000 to RM245,000. That is a decent selling price for a true muscle car (closest rival will be a Nissan Skyline). A second hand used 2015 model with a 2.3L engine (registered in 2018) will change hands from as reasonable as RM198,000 (asking price might start at RM218k) and above depending on accessories and money spent on upgrades.
An unregistered drop top (convertible) model’s selling price starts from RM255,000 before hard negotiations.
An imported new in 2016 Mustang 5.0 GT V8 with full Malaysian service history and all certified documents will sell for RM239,000 before hard negotiations.
Power delivery for the fuel-efficient Ford Mustang 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine is a decent 317 PS and 432 Nm of torque. The 5.0-litre V8 Mustang delivers 421 PS and 530 Nm of torque. Yes, the road tax of the V8 makes life once a year painful (when time to renew) but the joy of listening to the V8 roar and the gulping fuel thirsty engine makes up for all the cost as you drive this muscle car on the open road. The 2.3 Mustang can be upgraded with a throaty exhaust and some clever bits of tuning under the hood, but it just does not deliver the driving joy of the V8.
Visit the Mustang Club Malaysia Facebook page and read what owners have to say and then decide on which model suits your needs. We know 2.3L Mustang owners who lover their rides, but silently dream of owning the V8 and we also know V8 Mustang owners who get fidgety with their wallets when their road tax hits the 11th month of validity.
End of the day, either model, its still a Mustang and its rising popularity in Malaysia goes to show that its ownership enjoyment is strong and will continue in years to come.
