Looks like Ford isn’t at all fond of spy photographers, and the same probably applies to any of you looking to snag a picture of a future Blue Oval car. And since we are on the receiving end of the photo-subject, it rubs on us as well.
In a freshly released video, FoMoCo explains how it worked to keep the 2015 Mustang “hidden in plain sight” from spy photographers, or as the company calls them, “paparazzi”.
This is a recurring theme in the video as well as Ford’s press release that states: “Professional photographers – who prefer to stay in the shadows or trees – acknowledge they can wait anywhere from minutes to months to catch a prototype, and patience is a virtue.”
Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer, had this to say: “The professional photographers all know where the cars get built and where they get tested. One photographer we see frequently parks in discrete locations with a view of these facilities, just waiting for something new to emerge.”
Vehicle engineering manager Tom Barnes, who took the first fully covered new Mustang out of the factory in June this year, says that photos of the car began popping up on automotive websites in less than an hour after he hit the road – we assume he means these spy images.
“After spending weeks refining the camo package for the Mustang, it was a bit frustrating getting snagged by the paparazzi almost immediately,” said Barnes. “On the other hand, when we saw the photos later that day, it was a relief to realize you really couldn’t tell what the car looked like.”
We beg to differ on that last statement as we had a pretty good first idea of what the new Mustang would look like almost a year before the first prototype hit public roads – remember these renderings from Josh Byrnes?
We’d like to hear to what you, the readers think about all this. If any spy photographers would like to chip in, you can leave your comments below too, or if you prefer, send us an email and we’ll post it here.
VIDEO