Chevrolet and Dodge have declared the end of the gas-powered muscle car, but Ford is holding on. Maybe just for another five years. A new report says the latest Ford Mustang will cease production in 2028.
The old-school muscle car had a rough 2023.
Dodge declared the end of an era, canceling its big rear-wheel drive cars, the Challenger and Charger. The company celebrated both out the door with a series of Last Call special editions. But the last order for each has been taken, and the factory will stop building them at the end of the month.
Their replacement? An “electric muscle car” – the Charger Daytona SRT Concept — though a rumor persists that Dodge may offer it with a gasoline engine, too.
Chevrolet followed Dodge’s lead, announcing that its long-running Camaro will cease production in 2024. The company said the name will return, so we suspect an electric Camaro is on the way.
Ford, though, held steady. The company brought out an all-new seventh-generation Mustang for 2024. It’s high-tech by muscle car standards, complete with an electric hand brake programmed to help drivers learn to drift. But you can still get it with a V8 and a stick like a proper muscle car.
At least until 2028. Muscle Cars and Trucks reports, “After the 2028 model year, the current Ford Mustang will bid us all farewell.” The magazine cites a source familiar with the agreement that ended the recent United Auto Workers’ strike.
The automakers told the union which factories would build which cars throughout the contract. That same source disclosed that Ram will build a midsize truck, perhaps called the Dakota.
Will the Mustang name disappear after 2028? Of course not. MC&T reports that a follow-up eighth-generation Mustang will be entirely electric, based on the same platform that underpins today’s Mustang Mach-E.
