Detroit 2008: Getting intimate with the Glass Roof Mustang
by Damon Lavrinc on Jan 15th 2008 at 10:31AM 
click above for high-res images of the Ford Mustang Glass Top
Probably the last thing the world needs is another Mustang variant, but Ford's got to keep its retro pony mobile relevant. So after offering the coupe, releasing a convertible and then making eleventeen bazillion different versions to suit every conceivable taste, it's fitted the 'Stang with a glass roof that blends the lines of the coupe with a little bit of open air lighting.
Granted, the Glass Roof Mustang is not particularly innovative, but we like the effect both inside and out. There's a clean line of darkness that begins at the top of the windshield and sweeps up and over the roof into the hatch. Inside, it's essentially an over-sized moonroof, but when facing ahead, you can't tell that it terminates right behind your head. If the blaring sun threatens to burn your bald spot, a retractable cloth sunscreen is fitted right over the rear seat passengers that's closed with a quick tug.
Gallery: Ford Mustang Glass Roof
PRESS RELEASE:
FORD ADDS GLASS ROOF OPTION TO MUSTANG LINEUP, MEETING CUSTOMER DESIRE FOR MORE NATURAL LIGHT
- "Top" Choice: Mustang now offers customers three roof choices: traditional coupe, convertible and a new factory-installed fixed glass roof.
- Glass Roof Growth: Production of large sunroofs in North America has increased nearly 200 percent since 2003 and is expected to top more than 2.5 million units by 2013.
- Affordability: Available as a $1,995 option, the new glass roof allows Mustang customers to let the sun shine in for half the price of moving up from a coupe to a convertible.
The 2009 Ford Glass Roof Mustang provides a third roof option for customers and responds to their growing desire for more natural light. Production of large sunroofs has increased nearly 200 percent in North America since 2003, according to Just-auto. The growth is driven, in part, by consumers' daily commute time. The number of consumers with commutes lasting more than 60 minutes grew by almost 50 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The new glass roof will be available as an option on both the V-6 Mustang and Mustang GT beginning this summer.
At $1,995, the new roof provides customers a less expensive option than a convertible, without compromising the coupe's versatility, headroom or climate-controlled environment.
"Mustang is an icon in our product lineup, and we are committed to keeping Mustang news fresh every year," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president, Global Product Development. "As the automotive landscape becomes increasingly competitive, features such as a panoramic glass roof will help differentiate our products from the competition."
Nearly one out of every two sports cars sold in America is a Mustang, and it remains the best-selling convertible. The new glass roof addresses the fact that 62 percent of buyers in the sports car segment are interested in a sunroof or moonroof on their next vehicle, according to
J.D. Power and Associates research.
Mustang's Glass Roof is made of tinted privacy glass, which reduces both infrared rays and vehicle cool-down time by 50 percent. A manual roller blind is built in, allowing owners to further control exposure on sunny days.
The specially formulated glass also protects interior fabric material from solar radiation deterioration and discoloration by reducing solar light transmittance. To help improve acoustics and Mustang's interior quietness, the glass also features a layer of vinyl that reduces noise, vibration and harshness.
The glass roof Mustang is built like a coupe and has been developed to maintain the structural integrity of Mustang. The glass itself is safety glass, meaning that it shatters without sharp or jagged edges, like other automotive glass.
Glass Roof Mustangs will be assembled at the AutoAlliance International Inc. in Flat Rock, Mich. The unique glass is installed at Ford's adjacent vehicle personalization facility.
Like its coupe and convertible counterparts, the Glass Roof Mustang has endured a battery of tests measuring quality and craftsmanship.
During the development phase, production-level prototypes ran through a rigorous prove-out, including various water, air leakage, durability, squeak and rattle and vehicle dynamics tests. Top quality drives the development team – as evidenced by Mustang's first-in-its segment ranking in the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates IQS, VDS and APEAL studies.
"Quality is a continuous process. The whole team is passionate about it, which results in our paying attention to the smallest details," says Paul Randle, chief nameplate engineer. "Our owners have high expectations, and we always want to meet them – with strong features like this new roof option, quality and performance."
In addition to the new Glass Roof Mustang that goes on sale this summer, two other derivatives join the Mustang V-6 and GT in Ford showrooms early in 2008 as well as a special Mustang TV "star":
The Mustang Bullitt returns to the streets four decades after hitting the Big Screen and features the latest in Ford Racing Technology. Inspired by the original movie car, this modern classic is designed to deliver a perfect balance of power and performance for enthusiasts, delivering 315 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. With limited production planned, Bullitt carries on the Mustang tradition of affordable performance and is arriving in dealerships with a $31,075 Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.
The Shelby GT500KR arrives in time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Shelby Cobra GT500KR, known as "The King of the Road." Building on the strong foundation of the Shelby GT500, the KR features a 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 with a Ford Racing Upgrade Pack and a SVT-tuned suspension. It is estimated to deliver
540 horsepower. The Shelby GT500KR carries forward the spirit of the original car – with 1,000 units planned for production.
When it enters the market this year, the 2008 Shelby GT500KR will play a starring role. Cast as the new KITT, in the remake of the TV show Knight Rider, the popular American television series, which ran from 1982 to 1986 and starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a kind of modern-day "knight" and his partner, an advanced Pontiac Trans Am with artificial intelligence. In the TV premier, the Shelby GT500KR will make its appearance as KITT in three modes – HERO, ATTACK and camouflage versions. The HERO is the standard 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR and the ATTACK is a further modified high-speed version.
Building on Mustang's rich and successful racing heritage, Ford Racing will offer customers a new way to affordably race with the all-new 2008 Mustang FR500S. The car will be at the heart of the all-new Mustang spec series, the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup, and will make its debut on the tracks of North America in 2008. Built on the production line at AutoAlliance International Inc., the FR500S features a 4.6-liter 3-valve V-8 production engine that is produced by Ford and sealed and dyno'd at Roush Industries. The FR500S will retail for $75,000 straight from the Ford Racing parts catalog.
The 2009 model year marks Mustang's 45th year. Mustang was first introduced in 1964 at the World's Fair in New York with a price tag of $2,300. Ford sold more than 417,000 Mustangs in its first year.
Today, as the car approaches its 45th anniversary, nearly 9 million units have been sold.
Internationally, there are more than 250 Mustang enthusiasts clubs – more than any other vehicle – in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, South America and Australia.
Aside from its legion of loyal fans, Mustang also stands out for safety. The Mustang convertible is the first sports car and first convertible to earn the highest possible safety ratings in all New Car Assessment Ratings test modes performed by the U.S. government. The coupe earned five stars in frontal crash evaluations for both driver and front-seat passenger and in side impact for driver and rollover testing. It earned four stars for side impact for rear-seat passengers.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
David(Postal) 10:37AM (1/15/2008)
Looks good.. but I still prefer the basic look
Reply
cody 10:44AM (1/15/2008)
sorry way to expensive. The Scion TC has a better one at much less cost. If this cost $500 that would be more in line. wholesale cost of glass isnt as high as you would think. An example is a windshield for a Hyundai Santa Fe retails for $380, it wholesales for $85. Thats typical of glass prices. This cost Ford about $100. Just buy a sunroof or a convertible.
Reply
Shawn 10:56AM (1/15/2008)
Where did you find a $350 windshield for a Hyundai Santa Fe? It retails for over $500.
Calebe 12:13PM (1/15/2008)
If you paid $500 you got ripped off if you were in the Charleston SC area. Like I said, wholesale was $85 in December 07. some shops go as high as $450 the last time ran a check. Paying for employees to come and install you windshield is most of the cost of what the retail buyer pays. Next time try glass.net to find the lowest price in your area.
MemphisNET 10:52AM (1/15/2008)
I like it, and I'm glad to hear I can protect my bald head too :D
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ChrisInBirmingham 11:03AM (1/15/2008)
How about investing in better handling and cornering for the Mustang instead of gimmicky things like a glass roof? What a bore.
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henrykrinkle 11:25AM (1/15/2008)
Not everyone that buys a Mustang cares about drag racing or carving corners. Get a Bullitt or Shelby version for that. The reason the Mustang sells is that it has multiple configurations to suit a wide variety of tastes. That's why it survived during the Camaro's "hiatus" and will still be here when the Camaro inevitably goes on "hiatus" in the not-so-distant future.
AZMike 11:28AM (1/15/2008)
it's rather interesting to look thru the trash bin of history concerning fixed glass roofs.
Ford (ironically enough) started the fixed glass roof trend back in the 50s with the Crown Victoria and Mercury Sun Valley. the fixed roofs appeared again in the 70s, on the H-body Buick Skyhawk, and the Lincoln Town Coupe in the late 70s.
no matter what the configuration, it just doesn't work. heat is a huge issue that isn't eliminated with a fabric or vinyl cover inside. it continued with the T-top fixation that started in the mid-70s; T-tops were usually an option you only bought once.
and today, if the roof slides, there is a 95% chance it's a glass moonroof. another total waste.
who do you know that ever drives around without the interior shade closed? wouldn't a simple metal panel make more sense?
AZMike
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Kristovar 12:19PM (1/15/2008)
Tell me about it. I had a 1982 Camaro with the t-tops. I had to scour the earth when I bought another Camaro in 1999 to find an LS1/slicktop combination.
remusrm 11:30AM (1/15/2008)
gay... we now have the glass edition ford mustang... same crap different wrapper...
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Sam 11:50AM (1/15/2008)
Damon-
Mustang was all about variants, different models, engines, transmissions, trim, body pieces, etc etc
Think of it as a lamborghini: you have the base car, then you make a quabillion different types and sell them in small numbers. works every time.
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Philip 11:52AM (1/15/2008)
The local Ford dealer here in OKC has been selling "Glass Backs" for over a year now. I think they were asking about a $5000 premium over a stock GT.
http://www.glassbackroof.com/
Reply
AZMike 12:06PM (1/15/2008)
every time someone has tried a large fixed glass roof (not small ones like the Vista Cruiser), it has resulted in failure in the marketplace.
let's look at the list:
-Ford Crown Victoria, 1950s
-Mercury Sun Valley, 1950s
-H-Body Buick Skyhawk, 1970s
-Lincoln Town Coupe, 1970s
every one had several problems: 1) expensive, 2) too hot inside.
I don't quite understand some of the posters' correlations with the cost of a windshield; the two panels share nothing, except the material they are made from.
any manufactured item, whether it's shoes or cars, has to have fixed costs amortized. which do you think would have costs amortized faster; a windshield that they will probably made at least one million of, or a glass roof they will probably make less than 10,000 of?
do you suppose (just maybe) that the glass roof might be just a little thicker than a windshield? I'm sure it's at least four times thicker than a windshield. there are rollover standards that will need to be met.
not all windshield prices are as varied (wholesale/retail) at the ones listed, either. I sell parts for Buick Reattas for a living. a new windshield (NAGS # DW1072) has a list price of $1,200; the triple net (wholesale price) is also $1,200. supply and demand control everything.
AZMike
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Frick 2:09PM (1/15/2008)
thicker glass because of rollover standards? haha funny. Glass will not protect you in a rollover... the safety glass will shatter, it's the steel structure around the glass that will protect you.
AZMike 4:48PM (1/15/2008)
my point was the roof glass will be thicker than windshield glass. even moonroof or T-top glass is considerably thicker than windshield glass.
AZMike
Purifoy 2:21PM (1/15/2008)
Yaaaaaaaaawn! Can you spell B-O-R-I-N-G?
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DCragtop 2:23PM (1/15/2008)
I love it. I won't buy it, but I love it. For the looks alone it's sharp. I'm a 'vertible man and if I can't open the roof on ANY sports car, it no el suito me. But props to Ford for finding another way to keep the car fresh (w/o killing it off like some of those darn GM folks did back yonder) and stylish. By the way, interesting sales, safety, and club numbers. Aww...My Mustang brings all the boys to the yard...damn right, it's bettah than yows!
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Sandy 6:39PM (1/15/2008)
I think it looks good. I too am a convertible man and a 'Stang has gotta be a 'vert ~ but if I were to buy the coupe - 'ya, I definately opt for the Glass Top.
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C.W. 4:43PM (1/15/2008)
this is awesome. i have talked to a lot of engineers working on this project. this glass is scientific perfection. you get a minimal-to-zero effect on internal heat because of the way it is tinted, you get a cost solution because of Ford producing this glass in their own state-of-the-art glass factory (completely renovated and updated this past fall) and safety is not compromised. if the sun is staring you in the eye, pull the shade that is completely integrated. Haters can zip-it. this is intelligent product enhancement to keep excitement up until the end of the year when we see the re-vamped mustang.
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Mark 11:08PM (1/15/2008)
I agree. This is an option. If you don't like it - nobody will force you to buy this, so why bash the idea?
Options are good, and this should generate some mid-designlife interest. It does seem a bit pricey to me, but it does appear that a lot of the draw-backs (heat and noise) of glass roofs have been addressed with newer technologies - unlike some of the so-called failures mentioned, such as the Ford Sunliner of the 50's.
And by the way - the shade on the moonroof of my car is almost always open.