According to futurist Sheryl Connelly, consumers are romanticizing how things used to be and are finding comfort and connection in products, brands and experiences that evoke nostalgia.
So it should be no surprise the Ford Mustang is making a huge splash at this year’s Vancouver International Auto Show, which starts next week at the Trade and Convention Centre. The iconic Mustang celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
“People who are experiencing economic malaise and social uncertainty may long for the past and the good old days,” said Connelly.
Connelly works as a futurist with the Ford Motor Company and it’s her job to study consumer habits and behaviours and then predict global trends. Her top 10 trend report for 2014 predicts in part that consumers will seek more meaningful connections with retailers and service providers, that downtime has given away to filling every moment with bite-sized chunks of information, education and entertainment, and that there’s a growing concern for the planet’s water.
Connelly used denim jeans to explain the difference between macro and micro trends. She explained that while denim will never go out of style, some designs, such as acid wash, should likely never have seen the light of day. And while jeans don’t have much to do with the automotive industry, Connelly said the acid wash reference demonstrates just how terribly some trends can go if not developed with consumers in mind.
The Ford Mustang, she added, is an example of a successful design that’s never gone out of style. Speaking of Mustangs, a one-of-a-kind model will be auctioned off at the auto show March 29, with net proceeds going to the New Car Dealers Foundation, a charitable group that provides scholarships and bursaries to students entering automotive industry education programs.
In celebration of the Mustang’s 50th anniversary, the Vancouver International Auto Show collaborated with a team from the Vancouver Collector Car Show and Auction to get their hands on a 1966 Ford Mustang Coupe.
The car was found in Los Angeles and restored by Terry Deacon, owner of Prince George-based Uptown Cruisers. The auction will take place at 2 p.m. at the Red Line Stage. In celebration of the car’s 50th anniversary, the Mustang will be also featured in show’s Hagerty Classic Alley, a collection of vintage cars from the 1950s and 1960s.
But it won’t be all Ford products on display at the auto show. There will be more than 400 new vehicles from more than 20 manufacturers on display.
This year the McLaren 650S makes its North American debut at the Vancouver event. Making Canadian debuts at the show are Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota and Kia. The auto show runs from March 25 to 30. For a complete schedule and ticket information, visit vancouverinternationalautoshow.com.
