2010 Ford Mustang takes it all off...but not quite yet.

September 4, 10:15 PMAuto Review ExaminerJohn Matras

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Auto Review Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Where’s the feather boa? The 2010 Ford Mustang is doing a slow striptease before its official introduction at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19 and it was recently caught out in public wrapped in heavy padded fabric and the way things are, pictures quickly wound up on the web.

The Mustang faithful are all over the photos, gleaning what bits of information they can through mesh openings for lights and air intake and from what can be discerned from shapes visible through the padding and what particular bulges might mean.

The truth is, however, that the ’10 Mustang is not a new model but a mid-run refleshing of the horse, but from the Frederick’s of Hollywood peek-a-boo wrap, the cosmetics on Ford's pony look substantially changed.

The old tradition of auto dealership windows covered in brown paper in anticipation of new model introduction in the fall has long expired, but manufacturers still don’t want to tip their hands too soon.

On the other hand, with the ongoing introduction of the Dodge Challenger and the all-new Camaro on the way, Ford will have to work for all the attention the Mustang gets. Hence the striptease. Officially there’s the Mustang countdown site, and Ford recently revealed the revised pony.

But then there’s the “caught” Mustang and the photos. Somehow it’s just a little to convenient for a testing “mule” to be parked in public, especially long enough for a crowd to gather, one of whom had the time to take 47 pictures, many in close detail (though still mostly hidden by mesh), which were then posted on photobucket. Especially when the car has "the2010mustang.com is live" lettered across the top of the windshield.

We’ve long been suspicious of spy photos that in some cases looked like the manufacturer made it a little too easy, and we have to say it looks like that to us here.

That said, if you want to know what the 2010 Mustang will look like, sorta, peruse the photobucket collection by “jhamilton” in all its bits and pieces glory. Just remember, Ford won’t take it all off until November. The car itself won’t be available until early 2010. We’re rather certain there won’t be a feather boa option.