From Sketch to Model: Ford China Design Center Displays Top 3 Designs from “MUSTANG | A GRAND TOUR OF RE-IMAGINATION” at Auto Shanghai

At Auto Shanghai, the Ford China Design Center presented the top three winning designs from "MUSTANG | A GRAND TOUR OF RE-IMAGINATION" at the Ford stand. This industry-academia collaboration, alongside the CDS Transportation Design Academy, set a challenge for automotive design students worldwide to honor the legacy of Ford’s legendary Mustang while pushing the boundaries of the icon’s design language.

During the final evaluation, Liu Sizhuo from Tsinghua University's Academy of Fine Arts, Xie Yi'an from Pforzheim University in Germany, and Lai Yushun from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts impressed the judges with their exceptional designs. Their work has now advanced to the physical modeling stage. 

Liu Sizhuo, sees the Mustang as an iconic symbol of American culture that embodies the boundless pursuit of freedom, with the open highway as its quintessential expression. Inspired by this connection, Liu focused on the “Shooting Brake” model - a concept perfectly suited for grand road trips and aligned with the program's theme. Interestingly, Liu also found from historical records that Mustang designers had previously explored a Shooting Brake variant during the model’s initial design phase, further validating Liu's vision. “Mustang Mach-S Concept” masterfully blends the high-performance attributes of a sports car with the spacious practicality of a Shooting Brake. While preserving the Mustang's inherent sense of speed and power, Liu skillfully integrates the unique elegance of this body style, achieving an aesthetic that is both untamed and sophisticated, bold yet refined. 

Xie Yi'an, from Pforzheim University in Germany, challenged the traditional Pony Car concept, creating a design that balances heritage with innovation while prioritizing functionality and practicality. Drawing inspiration from the concept of the Utility Coupe, Xie innovatively blended the sleek elegance of a coupe with the rugged utility of a pickup, applying this groundbreaking concept to the Mustang's design, creating a dynamic fusion of diverse vehicle forms. Xie's creation goes beyond reimagining the Mustang's shape – it offers a fresh interpretation of the Mustang's spirit. The design exudes a powerful sense of forward motion, with a compact front end and cockpit emphasizing the strong roofline. The short, powerful rear integrates sleekly with the pure electric platform, creating ample cargo space and striking a harmonious balance between performance and practicality. 

Lai Yushun, from the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, crafted a design that deeply embodies the Mustang's track-bred DNA and athletic prowess, celebrating its legacy as an iconic American performance car. The creative narrative traces the Mustang's journey from Daytona to Le Mans to NASCAR, highlighting its status as the champion of countless races. The phrase “Mustang Forever” sparked Lai's imagination, leading him to elevate the Mustang's racing spirit by conveying its enduring legacy through the transmission of driving skill. His design ingeniously employs a tandem cockpit, reminiscent of a fighter jet, with a front-and-rear seating arrangement that forges a connection between aspiring and legendary drivers, symbolizing the Mustang's timeless inheritance. Bold, visually striking aerodynamic features, such as fighter jet-inspired air intakes, showcase the Mustang's forward-thinking evolution, further accentuated by a personalized paint scheme that enhances the vehicle's untamed and distinctive character.