Automakers generally love showing off concepts to the public, even if they never go into production. These cars can answer questions like “what if?” or be showcases of designers’ imaginations. But some concepts never see the light of day, even though they are really cool. One of Ford’s coolest secret concepts is this: the 2019 Ford Mustang Ute. Amazingly, this is not just a concept car, but a functional truck, including a real, opening tailgate.
The Ford Mustang Ute is one of the many concept vehicles that live in the new Ford Vault museum and historical archive. It, like many of the vehicles in the archive, was stored on a Ford property, away from public view. But now, seven years after the concept was built, the world is finally getting its eyes on this orange beauty.
The concept of a Ford Mustang pickup isn’t new. There are countless custom builds out there and even more AI slop interpretations. But Ford itself has never sold a Mustang with a bed before. The closest might have been the Ford Durango, but that was constructed by a third party, sold only in California, and was based on a Fox platform Fairmont, not a Mustang. So, this Mustang finally answers the question that enthusiasts have had for so long. What would a Ford Mustang pickup look like? Well, here you go. But it was more than just a concept; it was a learning tool.
Ford’s Lesser-Known Skunkworks
The Ford Mustang Ute concept is the brainchild of the Experimental Vehicles Building (EVB) Metal Shop. The EVB is fascinating because it isn’t something Ford talks about a lot, yet it’s a huge deal to the company.
The EVB was built in 1926 as part of Ford Airport, which opened the year prior. Designed by famed industrial architect Albert Kahn, the EVB started life as a factory that produced Ford Tri-Motor airliners. Ford Airport was notable for being one of the first to adopt a design that we’d consider to be modern today. The 360-acre facility was the first to feature a hotel, the first to feature scheduled passenger service, the first with a terminal, and the first with radio-based air traffic control. It was also one of the first to have a concrete runway.
In 1938, Ford paved a car test track at the airport. By 1947, Ford moved its aviation offices to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and fully converted its old airport into the Dearborn Proving Ground. Since then, Ford has slowly demolished the aviation part of the airport’s past. The terminal was torn down in 1961, and an engine testing facility was razed during renovations in 2018. The Dearborn Inn has survived, as has a renovated version of the EVB.
So, what is the EVB? It essentially functions as Ford’s skunkworks.
When Ford needs a development mule, concept car, or some kind of one-off made, the fabricators of the Experimental Vehicles Building get to work. The EVB says that it can make metal models, roll cages, all sorts of castings, EV testing fixtures, air-leak templates, prototype parts, and more. The skilled tradespeople in the shop are capable of lengthening or shortening any vehicle, building one-off vehicles of any scale, cutting, brazing, welding, and reverse-engineering. All of this, the EVB says, can be done in an amazingly short timeframe.
Basically, if Ford needs a concept car or some custom piece of kit made, and needs it done basically yesterday, the EVB is who gets the call.
The Ford Mustang Ute
The Mustang Ute was not called down from another division. Instead, the EVB says that in 2019, the team at the Metal Shop decided to train their new apprentices by giving them hands-on experience in building a concept car. And what better way to teach a new generation of fabricators than to have them build something fun?
The team started with a bog-standard S550 Mustang and got to work.
Up front is the fascia from a GT350, and under the blacked-out windows is an interior featuring a dashboard from an S197 Mustang. If you don’t know your Mustang generations, the S197 was the one built beginning in the 2005 model year, while the S550 comes from 2015. Sadly, the windows are completely opaque, so the interior was hidden from view.
At any rate, the real magic happens in the rear. The EVB team cut out the Mustang’s rear end, then dropped the bed of a Ranger in. The apprentices and their mentors spent hundreds of hours on the car, shaping the bed so that it flows flawlessly into the Mustang’s body, and giving the car an excellent custom orange paint job. The truck is also functional, too, featuring tie-down hooks and an opening tailgate.
As for the underbody? It looks like a normal Mustang. The car runs and drives, too, despite the non-see-through windows.
However, this car was technically never an official concept. It was a teaching and team-building tool. For that, it was a smashing success. So, I can understand why Ford never showed it off to the public. Of course, that also means that this vehicle wasn’t considered for production.
However, I would say that it probably would have been even cooler had Ford decided to show this car off to the world. The quality of the work showcased here is incredible. Indeed, as Ford says now, this car is a sort of celebration of the trades, and a physical manifestation of what you can do with your hands.
America Needs A Mustang Truck
I think it’s a missed opportunity. The Mustang Ute looks like something that Ford could sell tomorrow, and it would probably fly off dealership showroom floors. I mean, a Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC Ute would probably be the most American car of the 21st century, and I’d happily drive one while cackling like a hyena. Or, maybe not. I do like deeply unpopular cars, so maybe Ford would sell like 12 of them.
If you want to see this car in person, you’ll have to wait for the public opening of the Ford Vault. A public preview of the Vault goes down tomorrow, but tickets are already sold out. Final preparations to fully open the Vault to the public are happening right now, but Ford does not yet have a date for when the full public opening will be. I will give you an update as soon as I have one.
Either way, I hope the folks who got to build this had a lot of fun. This car is a running and driving monument to what you can do with some paint, creativity, and a welder. If it inspires just one person to follow their dreams to enter a trade, I think it’ll be mission accomplished.
Top graphic image: Mercedes Streeter
