The next-gen Ford Mustang has been a smash hit with muscle car enthusiasts around South Africa.
The Blue Oval recently announced its sales figures for the first quarter of 2025, detailing how well the brand is currently performing in our market.
Included in all the various statistics were sales figures for different Ford models, including the iconic Mustang, which sold a grand total of 68 units.
That may not sound like a lot, considering that the nation’s top performers tend to ship thousands of units per month, but these numbers are for affordable, mass-market products like the Suzuki Swift.
The Mustang, in comparison, is a high-end sports car, which is admittedly a niche market in South Africa these days.
Prices for the Mustang GT currently start at R1.3 million, though this sum goes all the way up to R1.5 million for the special-edition Dark Horse.
With that in mind, Ford has generated a minimum of R88.4 million in revenue from selling just 68 cars, and the true sum is undoubtedly even higher once the Dark Horse sales are factored in.
Something else to note is that Ford is limiting the release of the new Mustang in South Africa in an effort to ensure that it doesn’t over supply the market.
The company explained that a car like the Mustang is meant to embody rarity and exclusivity, which would be lost if everyone got their hands on one right away.
Of course, the high asking price will ensure that the galloping pony will never be an ‘everyday’ car, but the prevalence of other luxury models like the BMW X3 indicates there’s still a sizeable contingent of South Africans who can afford such a vehicle.
This is why Ford has elected to limit the supply of Mustangs entering the country to ensure that every sale is meaningful.
The demand is evidently there, as the company confirmed that the entire Dark Horse allocation for South Africa in 2025 has already sold out, meaning any new orders placed now will go towards the 2026 allocation.
What people are buying
As a reminder, the seventh-generation Mustang made its South African debut in November 2024.
At launch, the muscle car was only available in a single GT specification, but the carmaker later added the even more exclusive Dark Horse model.
Both cars are equipped with the brand’s famous 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated Coyota V8 petrol engine, though the two models have slightly different outputs.
The GT produces 328kW and 540Nm, while the Dark Horse uses an uprated version of the powerplant that adds another 6kW, making it the most powerful naturally-aspirated Mustang to date.
This significant power reading means the Ford can rocket from 0 to 100km/h in around 4.5 seconds.
The GT can also reach a top speed of 250km/h, while the Dark Horse can go as high as 267km/h.
Both cars feature a 10-speed automatic gearbox, and power is only delivered to the rear wheels for that classic muscle car sensation.
Another exciting inclusion is a segment-first electronic drift brake that enables users to take advantage of the muscle car’s rear-wheel drifting capabilities in the style of a traditional mechanical handbrake.
Naturally, the Mustang also comes with an active valve performance exhaust, which can control the amount of noise produced if you’d rather not disturb your neighbours.
Other new fittings include a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch curved infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
It also benefits from heated and ventilated seats, a flat-bottom racing steering wheel, keyless entry and start, a wireless charger, automatic climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, overhead USB ports for accessories like track cameras, and a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo.
This is on top of safety and assistance functions such as speed sign recognition, intelligent adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind-spot monitoring, lane-centering assist, evasive steer assist, and reverse brake assist.
The Dark Horse units will then throw in exclusive details like bespoke low-gloss 19-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli P Zero tyres, darkened LED headlamps, a gloss black grille, high-gloss “fangs” in the lower front bumper, extended side skirts, a fixed rear wing, a new race-inspired diffuser, and darkened quad exhaust tips.
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