Enthusiasts don’t get many wins these days. Every other week, you hear about a cool trim being discontinued or an iconic sports car being revived as a hybridized crossover. It’s the same story with manual transmissions. Over the past few years, the number of manual cars available to the buying public has shrunk to just 21 vehicles.
One of those vehicles is the Ford Mustang. The last of America’s pony cars can still be had with two of the car’s three V8-powered trims, the GT and the Dark Horse. Though the stick can no longer be ordered with the base four-cylinder EcoBoost, and was never available on the top-level GTD, being able to pair the six-speed with Ford’s 5.0-liter Coyote engine remains a sort of last bastion for purist American muscle.
Sales of the Mustang are a fraction of what they used to be, so keeping different powertrains in the lineup isn’t as sensible for Ford as it once was. If Ford announced it wouldn’t be bringing back the stick shift for the next generation of Mustang, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest (but I would be deeply upset, obviously).
Thankfully, it doesn’t sound like that’s going to happen any time soon, according to CEO Jim Farley. Ford’s head honcho revealed to journalists last weekend during the Formula 1 Melbourne Grand Prix that the manual transmission in the Mustang is here to stay for the foreseeable future. From CarExpert:
Speaking to Australian media including CarExpert at the 2026 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, the Ford CEO said: “Out of our cold, dead hands will we not have a manual Mustang.”
While that line sort of makes it sound like Ford is keeping a floating, autonomous set of hands operating on the company’s behalf, similar to the Master Hand character from the video game series Super Smash Bros., locked away somewhere holding onto a stick shift as hard as they possibly can, the phrase is obviously a play on actor Charlton Heston’s famous speech at the 2000 NRA National Convention, speaking on his beliefs regarding the Second Amendment in the lead up to that year’s presidential election. The part of the speech in question is at the 0:58 mark:
“From my cold, dead hands,” a shortened version of “I’ll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.” But in Farley’s case, the cold, dead hands are clutching a shift knob.
It’s pretty well-documented that Farley is an avid car enthusiast and racing driver, so it makes he’d have a similarly strong stance on manual transmissions. Unfortunately, since he did not find himself awakened in the far future surrounded by talking primates, Farley didn’t go full circle and quote Heston from any of his actual films (during this interview, anyway. If you can find any mention of Farley saying something about damned dirty apes somewhere online, please let me know.)
The “our” in that quote does some lifting, suggesting it’s not just him that feels that way, but others within the Ford organization. It’s very likely the higher-ups within Ford have done the math on the manual, both for the Mustang and the Bronco, and realized it might not be worth it to keep them going. Yet, they still exist here, today, in the year 2026. That’s what you get when enthusiasts are in charge. Later in that interview, Farley reiterated the “no boring cars” phrase he’s been throwing around these past few years:
“I really believe Ford best serves the working people and enthusiast drivers,” he said. “And that’s increasingly off-road as well as on-road, and I like to say we don’t have any boring cars at Ford.”
Whether you agree with that statement will depend on whether you think cars like the E-Transit or the Bronco Sport are boring or not. For an automaker as large and diverse as Ford, making every car in its lineup truly exciting is a gargantuan task. But at least it’s trying. In addition to the Mustang, there’s also the Explorer ST and high-performance Raptor versions of the Bronco, the Ranger, and the F-150. That’s a pretty wide range of fun cars.
No matter what you think of Ford’s current lineup, you have to at least give props to the company for helping to keep the manual alive. The stick shift’s future in the Mustang feels as secure as ever, which is a seldom-seen win for enthusiasts everywhere.
Top graphic images: Ford
Jim seems like a bit of dick. As mentioned in the article He’s just been here in Australia saying that he was going to close the Ford Australian engineering division (engineered the Ranger and the Everest) if the Australian government wouldn’t reduce its emissions levels. Screw him and his blackmail – just use a lobbyist like anyone else!
I have it on personal recognizance that Farley IS a bag of tools. He might be a car-guy/gearhead and into racing – but his personality and demeanor drift well into ‘dick’ territory.
I’ve never met the guy – but the stories I’ve been told and his image on YT and other media definitely make me dislike him.
Jim Farley continues to amaze me.
Charlton Heaton can suck a dick.
Farley, Mr. I just love my Chinese EV to try to pull the shift lever of my manual transmission from my cold dead hands. Less Charlton Heston more Barney Fife. This man takes longer to realize which way the wind is blowing than a lead wind vane.
Hey now. The E-Transit might not have great range, but the novelty of driving an electric van is kinda cool.
Or at least, I haven’t driven a BrightDrop yet, so I have no comparison points.
Invoking “damn, dirty apes” today would be considered anti-simiantic.
Now you’re flinging poo.
Farley flings poo to see what sticks.
COTD, thanks for the wordplay and laugh!
For real I thought the article was referring specifically to paper automobile manuals. The kind of manual you find in the “glove” box. Because unlike a manual transmission those could be pried from my hands.
The more I think about it, the more I think the “cold dead hands” quote goes way farther back than Charlton Heston in Y2K.
I think the earliest I ever heard of it was in the 1980s coming from Roy Rogers, the singing TV/movie cowboy. I do remember it sounding a little out of character for him and wondering whether it was a correct attribution. I might be remembering it wrong.
Looking it up I see it goes back to at least the 70s with John Wayne saying it – it’s exactly his style – and even representation in the original Red Dawn movie.
I don’t know where it started, but it definitely goes back well before Charlie said it. It was the NRA’s unofficial motto, hence why Charlie used it.
What about a long-bed standard cab F-150? Those need some manual love too Ford!
Long bed might be rarer than the manual at this point.
Technically, that sentence has no meaning. If you un-invert the sentence structure, it says “We will not have a manual Mustang out of our cold, dead hands” which means… nothing? Maybe the contrapositive works: “If we have warm, living hands, then we will have a manual Mustang in them.”
What I’m saying here is that, grammatically, he’s got a lot of wiggle room if he wants to go back on his statement in the future.
You got American English wrong.
Farley today: The Mustang will always be available with a manual transmission.
Farley tomorrow: In order to to order the manual transmission you have to add the gonzo performance look package for $7500.00, as well as the all leather interior and 3 dozen speakers acoustics package for an additional $5000.00 as well.
Farley in a year: well, we tried, but since so few chose the manual transmission option we have no choice but to discontinue it.
Farley in three years: the Mustang is being discontinued.
Please don’t give him any ideas.
My bad, wont happen again.
I’m all for the continuation of the manual transmission in the Stang, as long as they’re not made of…
people.
Beware the Soylent Green paint scheme.
What if they’re made of people who [insert your #1 driving pet peeve here.]
You’re on to something! People who don’t use turn signals or put their cart back will be first in line.
Putting the cart back? I always do it but really I don’t work for the grocery store, it used to be an employee rolled it out and put groceries in your car and returned it. Now they want to tell the customer to return it and you have citizens on patrol breaking the law to force customers to return the cart. Yes that ever works to me call the manager and explain why the $20k in groceries I spend each year is going to the competition because he has a self appointed Barney Fife in his parking lot enforcing fake laws. Although really I would just talk to Paul the store manager and have him tell Barney to get off his lawn.
Or pay by check in the express line.
Sounds like a good policy
Farley and RJ at rivan seem to be cut from the same cloth. You know something isn’t right but you won’t really call them out on being a huge scammer like some of these other guys. Farley talks the talk but his actions don’t match. Though maybe it’s his thing. Like the classic example of the apple guy that went to jc Penny’s got rid of cupons and just made things right priced like all the fash fashion people eating their lunch. The old ladies threw tantrums and made big messes. I do wonder if now isn’t the right time to attempt right price their vehicles. No one is paying sticker prices but even some big discount people may have payed close to sticker a few years ago because that was it. Right now they are all doing massive discounts on sticker and still not selling anything. Just like the r2 pricing is stepped in such a way were people might thing I’ll just go top range it’s only $4k more then awd. And that’s take it leave it prices. Like carvana, and CarMax before it. That have done well. Basically the only two things consumer’s haggle on are cars and houses. Yet the dealers call their places stores. I cant think of a single store in the west where you have to haggle. You could right the price get more people in and I’m sure there will still be room to haggle. Without the dealer having to advertise $10k off.
Sir, this is a Wendy’s.
No doubt they will both try to grab the Wendy’s pr people. Farley is seems more like the bk CEO. In the middle. Likes his Ford while driving a Chinese ev.
Or celebrities I own a Tesla I never drive but give me credit.
Okay the CEO of McDonald’s nibbles on the big arch. Isn’t that a huge fail?
Wendy’s certainly made it out to be. Xiaomi could probably do the same to Farley if they wanted to. I’m sure he will get ahold of another benchmark vehicle. I hope yangwang.
No boring cars?
Well, you make one car, so I guess in a Chrysler-esque way you’ve managed to achieve your goal.
Are we thinking 2027 Mustang Voyager?
I wasn’t but now I am!
One thing I don’t get. Okay many things I don’t get. But the only thing you need to do to make a boring car exciting is drive faster and use tires with less grip on the road. I don’t care what you are driving but if you lose traction and start doing a 360 or sliding towards the edge of a cliff the last thing you are thinking is this is kind of boring I wish it was more exciting. Your thinking I can’t believe I am going to die with such a large load of shit in my pants.
“I really believe Ford best serves the working people…”
Maybe if you’re talking work trucks and fleet vehicles. Otherwise, civilian craft begin at $32K for a Bronco Sport with the yucky engine. Your cross-town rival will sell me a legitimate entry level family commuter for $23K. It has a yucky engine too but I’m paying only 66% for the privilege.
“…and enthusiast drivers”
I’m currently staring at my Fiesta ST, perhaps the happiest little crapcan to blat down these roads since the original Miata, and now out of production since 2019. The cheapest non-Bronco manual is now a $48K Mustang when Honda, Toyobaru, Hyundai still off an engaging drivers car or two for far less than that.
CEOs and their mealy-mouthed market-speak. Whaddya gonna do?
He didn’t say the enthusiast drivers he was talking about were “working people”.
Then why stop the E-series vans in favor of electric toys that could not handle the weight or range needed by people using an E350SD CUTAWAY? I Never got why when 4 companies are making vehicles for a market that can only sustain 2 companies all 4 decide to stop production.
I read the headline without looking at the picture closely and I thought Ford was going to keep printed paper manuals for their cars no matter what.
No the paper is for the internal engine and transmission works
I just loved that headline! 🙂
Fuck Farley. He’s done more damage to Ford than any of their competitors ever could, but he thinks some ra-ra speech about manuals is going to save his company??
As the article states, the manual is no longer available on the base Mustang. So is he bringing that back? Its not like this is an “all new” Mustang, so they simply could have kept on-keeping on with the old base powertrain, but they chose not to. Under his watch. And he’s got no other cars to put a manual into.
It’s as pointless as the “V8 badge of protest.” I don’t respond to chest thumping apes.
dirty ones at that
Well he did take an EV SUV and call it a Mustang
The Bronco Sport can’t be boring if you’re upset when its engine finds a new way to annihilate itself and you’re waiting for parts to fix it, right?
I’d rather drive an upside down Jeep
Hey Jim, discontinue the MT82 and just put the Tremec’s in everything
Word. Ditch the Getrag and TR6060 every model.
Exactly. Considering what a well-equipped GT costs these days, you’d barely notice the pricing difference.
Ha, I was going to say the same thing. What I’m hearing here is that we’re going to be stuck with the MT82 forever.
My *2.0T* Camaro has a TR-3160 in it but you’ve gotta spend $65k to get the same gearbox in a Mustang.
Ford offers two vehicles with manual transmission for 2026. That’s more than most brands.
The same amount as /checks notes/ a Ca- no that can’t be right /rechecks notes/ wow, the same as Cadillac…
Who would have thought of Cadillac as a manual transmission bastion? I’m genuinely surprised.
That is nice if you like manuals.
The downside is that it also likely means that the Mustang will limp along with mild refreshes. Can’t see spending $$$$$ to have a supplier design a new transmission to sell 10,000 a year.
Well Stellantis isn’t doing to bad with ancient models and mane companies are losing billions because they got screwed thinking they really could make profitable EVs thinking a president with mental acuity problems could force the market. Why does anyone not just follow Toyota?
You must be joking about Stellantis.
They also $26 Billion last year.
Heston thrashed a blue (though automatic) Mustang around the streets of LA in the opening sequence of The Omega Man, which also featured a lot of guns. It all ties in.
I don’t know if I would follow him across the Red Sea though.
How about him in twin roles through a mine shaft to the Mother Lode?
I can’t not hear Jim Farley saying “damn, dirty apes” now. It does work.
Yes but you are not going to imagine it like Heston in Planet of the Apes you are going to see it like Chris in Living in a can down by the river.
“Charles?”
Autocorrupt strikes again. At least, I hope it’s Autocorrupt.
Nope, I effed it up all by myself (unless it autocorrected in Slack, from where I copy-pasted it)