[68keyblr]

I got a canned letter back from Ford, but that's it.

I swear I'm going to go Chevy or Dodge from now on unless they make some serious changes and quick!

[jeffnoel]

I agree, we've been thinking of trading in the Expedition on maybe the Magnum with the 6.1L Hemi.

[Jester67]

Originally Posted by 68keyblr

I got a canned letter back from Ford, but that's it.

I swear I'm going to go Chevy or Dodge from now on unless they make some serious changes and quick!

Good idea but I’m going to hit them where it hurts I am going to buy from an American friendly company someone like Toyota. At lease they make their product in the states and are willing to support the turner hobby.

[68keyblr]

I'm printing up some "Boycott Ford" signs to go in our '67 vert and '68 hardtop Mustangs for shows. I'll also print up fliers to pass out at shows explaining what Ford is doing. I can't believe there has been no news coverage of this

[CochinoFilipino]

I wonder why I haven't heard of the vendors teaming up to fight the $ demands.

They should get together, change their names and not pay the $.

They don't need 'Mustang' in their names, NPD and Year One seem to be doing alright.

[68keyblr]

Originally Posted by CochinoFilipino

I wonder why I haven't heard of the vendors teaming up to fight the $ demands.

They should get together, change their names and not pay the $.

They don't need 'Mustang' in their names, NPD and Year One seem to be doing alright.

That's a good point, they should pool their resources and get a good legal defense. Maybe even start a legal defense fund.

The issue isn't so much that they need "Mustang" in their name - it's the huge costs associated with changing a company name, lost name recognition, etc etc. At the end of the day it costs hundreds of thousands for a company like MustansPlus or Mustang Depot.

[FGHTFRD]

I set up a website that puts together all the information on this issue, please visit it at FightFord.org. There are free protest packages, and links to all the petitions at the site.

Written by: Anonymous Mustang Enthusiast / Business Associate

For those of you who are not familiar with recently exposed affairs of Ford Motor Company, this article should serve to summarize and give further insight into what is taking place. Ford is actively threatening and filing suit against all companies using the word Mustang in their company name.

As more articles and information come to the table, the gravity of this situation further shows itself. Unfortunately, none of the current articles/forum posts written to date have established exactly how deep this issue really goes. I have heard things said along the lines of, “Who cares about MustangsPlus(One of the first to come public), I don’t buy from them anyway” or “I can’t believe Ford is trying to get $10,000 dollars.” This war goes far beyond the scope of just a few companies, and the moneys involved are much more significant than ten thousand dollars. This is a legal war being brought to dozens of companies, and Ford has indicated many times that they are not stopping there. This issue threatens the entire Mustang aftermarket business and community.

Below is a list of companies I can confirm have received cease and desist orders from Ford. I can assure you there are many more who have not spoken publicly about it.

CaliforniaMustang.com || Cal-Mustang.com || MustangTuning.com || MustangsUnlimited.com || TexasMustang.com || DallasMustang.com || MustangDepot.com || StangParts.com || Sacramento-Mustang.com || MustangsPlus.com

I have talked to many of these store owners and can confidently say several of these stores have already been served lawsuits in Michigan. As those of you who have been involved in lawsuits know they are extremely time consuming and can be financially devastating. I do not want to speak on behalf of these companies but can safely assume that not all of these companies are in a financial position to defend themselves against a multibillion dollar company.

As I mentioned above this legal war with Ford will have devastating effects on both the industry and Mustang hobby. The aftermath of Ford’s action will initially disrupt the mustang aftermarket industry but will eventually trickle down and affect each and every mustang enthusiast. A pending lawsuit of this magnitude will immediately cause Mustang shops to divert resources. Time, money and attention will be spent on the impeding legal battles, and not on essential business affairs. Many of these core business functions are what keep the Mustang industry and community alive and growing. One of the most important services these businesses offer to the Mustang community is development of new products. Mustang aftermarket shops play a large role developing new products for the aftermarket community. They are on the frontline when it comes to talking to mustang enthusiasts and getting the ball rolling on the latest aftermarket mods. Some shops take it to the next level and have products manufactured in house. Others will work as the middle man letting the big manufacturers know where there is demand. The food chain of new product development is being greatly impacted.

The other services aftermarket shops offer to the community include, but are not limited to advertising, sponsorships and promotional events. Advertising dollars have become increasingly valuable to the mustang community with the recent increase in websites dedicated to mustangs, online forums, and new mustang magazines. These new media outlets are popping up because the advertising dollar is there to support them.

As some of you may have read in “Mustang Monthly” Ford lawyers have made direct threats to these media outlets. They have threatened to sue the websites, forums and large magazines that use mustang in their name. While I find it unlikely Ford would pursue lawsuits against these outlets, the reality is the Ford doesn’t need to directly attack these media outlets to hurt them. Mustang aftermarket shops are what fuel these websites, forums, and magazines. I am sure you have all noticed the abundance of ads on forums, websites and print magazines. These ads are what pay the bills. They keep the forums you visit every day running, and the staff at these magazines working diligently. As advertisers become occupied fighting this absurd dispute surely the funding and eventually the quality of these resources will fade.

Prosecuting the mustang aftermarket shops is an attack on the entire mustang community. The successful history of the Mustang can be attributed in strong part to the Mustang community and their support, loyalty, and love for the Mustang car. This leaves us with many unanswered questions. Why are they attacking the very companies that promote their product? Why are they going after the Mustang enthusiasts that support and love their cars? Why now, when many of these businesses have been around for decades? While it is easy for us to foresee the damage Ford will be doing to themselves in the long term, the law firms in charge are much too short sighted to understand this, or care either way.

Thus far, one Ford representative, Mustang Marketing director Jim Owens, has come forward and made efforts to slap some sense into Ford’s legal firms. This excerpt below shows he has begun to make efforts to get to the bottom of this,

“I met with Jim Owens, Ford’s Mustang Marketing Manager, during last weekend’s Mid-America Shelby Meet in Tulsa. Jim relayed to me that he was not aware of the legal department’s pursuit of companies using the Mustang name until someone sent him an advance copy of my editorial. He immediately went to the legal department and told them that the enforcement was not to the benefit of Ford Motor Company. Jim told me that as a result of his meeting(s) with legal, the cease and desist letters are no longer being sent out and that they are trying to figure out how to resolve the situation with companies that have already been contacted. Also, they are working on some type of licensing program that would allow companies in good standing to continue using the Mustang name, perhaps with something as simple as a $1 licensing fee. Nothing is official yet, but I reiterated to Jim that time is of the essence, seeing how many of the contacted companies are spending money every week on lawyers and legal fees.” - Donald Farr, Editor Mustang Monthly Magazine

I was thrilled when I first came across this statement. It shows that the efforts being made with the media, the people, and the petitions, have finally broken the surface. This is a major step in the battle. A representative of Ford has made clear acknowledgement as to the harm that these issues will cause to their company. I applaud Jim for the effort he is making. Unfortunately, I can ensure you the legal battles have not come to an end, and are far from over. I am aware of continuing legal action, as well as new threats being made by Ford’s legal department. It appears as if Jim’s efforts may not have been strong enough to put this issue to sleep. Regardless, this is the type of thing that has the potential to make good progress, so it can be viewed as a hurdle crossed.

Many of your favorite Mustang shops are still paying lawyers day in and day out to defend this fatal issue. Things occur slowly at large companies, and it is difficult to get a company of Ford’s size to change anything. Nothing short of a continued outpouring of support and tremendous effort on the part of the Mustang community will put an end to this struggle.

It is times like these when I am disgraced to bleed Blue.

-FightFord.org

[reenmachine]

I'm looking forward to putting the decals on the 2006 Chevy I just bought in response to this.

[zookeeper]

It sounds to me like Ford's size is working against itself. How else could you explain that the Mustang Marketing Director doesn't even know about the lawsuit beforehand? Either way, I'm sick of Ford treating my hobby like a pissing post unless it benefits them in selling their new Mustangs. I'm also still waiting for any comment from one of the drones at Ford in response to the letter expressing my concerns.

[Edbert]

Did you guys buy out all the 65-68 Shelby emblems and trim peices before July 1st?

[StangDreamin']

... I brought this issue up in the "General Discussion" forum at 150online.com. The response was "interesting", to say the least1 Couple-three post going "What?"; followed by a post from one of the Admin's which started out with, "These are the kinds of posts I'm talking about our having to shut down."; and continuing with questions of my paranoia and a very self-assured (and slightly creepy) "WE (f150online) are not going to be touched" -type of statement. Hmmmmmmmm.....

I've been hitting f150online a lot recently - almost as much as StangNet - because (for those who have been living in a cave) I ended up replacing the Rice-Eating Generic Chevy Truck with a 4x4 F150 SCab. F150online is a pretty great resource and reference for my new-to-me truck (even saving up to blow some dough with one of their major sponsors); although most of the users seem to think of their trucks as "Mustangs with really big open trunks". On the other hand, I wonder about their "Fuhgeddaboutit" attitude regarding this discussion thread.

Gotta find something like the Ford Trucks Enthusiast forum (ford-trucks.com.... I wonder if they're being tagged as well); only more oriented towards the 97 and up models and the use of trucks as, well, trucks.

[Hack]

Please everyone that hates Ford now and wants to get rid of their Mustangs PM me and I will arrange to come pick up your car.

[68keyblr]

Originally Posted by Hack

Please everyone that hates Ford now and wants to get rid of their Mustangs PM me and I will arrange to come pick up your car.

LOL, just because some lawyers are making Ford look bad doesn't mean I don't love my horsies as much as always

I do have faith that Ford will pursue a more reasonable course that will allow them to fully protect their trademarks without causing businesses to change their name. I just wonder how long it will take...

[jerry S]

Originally Posted by Hack

Please everyone that hates Ford now and wants to get rid of their Mustangs PM me and I will arrange to come pick up your car.

Although I won't sell my mustang out of spite because of this, I won't be buying a new Ford in the future. I am a marketers dream: the brand loyal consumer with lots of money to spend. However, my brand loyalty can go the other way too and that will work against Ford in this case as far as my own situation goes. I am sure I am not alone in this.

[reenmachine]

Originally Posted by 68keyblr

I do have faith that Ford will pursue a more reasonable course that will allow them to fully protect their trademarks without causing businesses to change their name. I just wonder how long it will take...

This may be the case, but in the meantime Ford is doing irreparable damage to many businesses. Even if Ford calls it all completely off, much damage has already been done. They lose my brand loyalty for being stupid enough in the first place to think that it would be a good idea to alienate their most loyal customers right when they needed us most.

[rsev216]

By leaving Ford are you going to anything better???? The last time I looked up Evil Empire in the dictionary, the GM logo was there. GM has a long. long history of squashing the little guy and killing potential competition.

[zookeeper]

The difference between Ford and GM is that GM offers an alternative to aftermarket by selling top-quality parts for '60's musclecars. I always go to the dealer first for OEM parts for my wife's Corvette and have yet to find anyting they don't carry. Not only that, but GM's involvement with GoodMark gives OEM-quality sheetmetal to the Camaro/El Camino/ Chevelle crowd. Wander on down to your local Ford dealer and ask about parts for your '65 fastback and see how far you get. Ford does NOT care about you or I or our older cars. They don't see the big picture of how restored Fords lead to brand loyalty that sells NEW Fords.

[68keyblr]

Originally Posted by reenmachine

This may be the case, but in the meantime Ford is doing irreparable damage to many businesses. Even if Ford calls it all completely off, much damage has already been done. They lose my brand loyalty for being stupid enough in the first place to think that it would be a good idea to alienate their most loyal customers right when they needed us most.

I absolutely agree! I just don't think that GM is any better - They have done/are doing the same type of thing. Not sure about Dodge though - maybe Dodge has management with brains?

[Edbert]

GM keeps all that stuff in-house and manages to keep pricing low. I'm not sure how they do it, the two things are usually mutually exclusive in a free market. But GM's direction is lacking...no Camaro, the sporty cars they offer are a Cobalt with SS badging and a $70K Vette...not much for guys in my buying class.

Diamler Chrysler has some brains, and a good design team. But their quality has been questionable at best, I'm betting they'll get there, but they aint there yet. The Charger is the only one I'd consider, yet it just did not "move" me in any way except the Hemi.

Ford is the only company giving me 300hp in a $25K rwd platform. Add in the fact that it looks good and is called a Mustang and I'm not taking my buying powers anywhere else until that changes. Now in the decision on my next truck...well the CK and Ram are both quality vehicles.

P.S.
I do think they are making a mistake with this action, there are many good and loyal folks getting hurt. I think FoMoCo would be better served by offering a license to these companies to use "Mustang" in their names for a small fee. That way Ford could pull the licenses if the companies started abusing their license. But I am not a corporate lawyer, I doubt they are doing this on a whim.

[Henceforward]

Here is my new "Censored" Logo on my Ranger...

I am going to put them on my Mustang as Well...

Ford

Grill



Tailgate

[electricgreen]

/\ lol, now that's funny. If my Ranger was on the road I'd do that.

[craig gaines]

Unbelievable,

What next the M#stang Club of America?

FORD WAKE UP!! Without the ungodly strong aftermarket the Mustang would be a front drive Probe clone, and possibly gone altogether. Seems like if it wasnt for m#stang fans you clowns would have done away with THE car that makes you money. Keep it up....that Challenger looks pretty cool!

[reenmachine]

Originally Posted by reenmachine

I have heard from a lot of people that they will never buy a Ford product again unless this is totally reversed. I am one of those people. Coincidentally, I am in the market for a work truck. After never owning a non-Ford truck, I just pulled the plug on my E350 van deal and will buy a GM product. I will send a picture of me standing next to it to Bill Ford. Funny thing is, after removing my brand-loyalty blinders to do my research, the GM product is far superior.

Vote with your wallet. It's obviously the only thing they understand.

Well, here she is. The Ford pickup is gone. 2006 Chevy Express G3500. Tows like a dream!

[chepsk8]

I have been following this thread, and many others on many sites. My big question is, has Ford issued any sort of official statement?

Without a doubt, my next project will not have a blue oval anywhere on it. (It will be either Black & Gold, or White & gold, and have "Hurst" in it's name)

I am officially looking for another 1974.....

[jerry S]

Originally Posted by chepsk8

I have been following this thread, and many others on many sites. My big question is, has Ford issued any sort of official statement?

Without a doubt, my next project will not have a blue oval anywhere on it. (It will be either Black & Gold, or White & gold, and have "Hurst" in it's name)

I am officially looking for another 1974.....

My Mach 1 goes in for paint in the Fall. Then it is done and I start my next project. Originally, I was going to get a 73 Mustang vert and add a 514 stroker but since Ford no longer wants my money, I have decided to go with a 71 Challanger.