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Ford CEO Jim Farley publicly defended the manual Mustang at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, saying, “Out of our cold, dead hands will we not have a manual Mustang,” according to CarExpert’s March 10, 2026 report. It is a strong statement in favor of keeping a manual Mustang, but it is not an explicit promise that Ford will keep the V8 indefinitely.

What Farley said—and what he was answering

CarExpert reports that Australian media asked Farley whether Ford would keep the Mustang “with a V8 in its current form.” His reported answer was: “Out of our cold, dead hands will we not have a manual Mustang.” The quote is attributed to CarExpert; no Ford transcript or recording is cited in the available coverage.

The distinction matters: Farley named the manual Mustang, not the V8. Road & Track and SlashGear also note that his remark does not explicitly settle the V8’s future. It signals a forceful commitment to preserving a manual option, but does not specify a timeline, model year, or guarantee for every Mustang variant.

Which current Mustangs offer a manual?

Manual availability is limited by market, body style, and powertrain. CarExpert’s March 2026 reporting gives these configurations:

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Market and model Transmission availability
Australia, GT Fastback Six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic
Australia, GT convertible 10-speed automatic only
United States, GT convertible Manual available
Current-generation EcoBoost Automatic only globally

These are configurations reported by CarExpert as of March 2026, not a guarantee of what a dealer has in stock or what a later model year will offer. Check Ford’s local configurator or a dealer listing for the exact market and model year.

Does the statement mean the EcoBoost will get a manual?

No such commitment was reported. The current-generation EcoBoost is automatic-only, according to CarExpert. Road & Track says Ford removed the EcoBoost manual option for this generation, citing low demand. Farley’s statement supports retaining a manual Mustang option; it does not say Ford will offer a manual with every engine or body style.

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How strong is the evidence that buyers want a manual?

SlashGear reports that Ford previously said 27% of GT and Dark Horse buyers in 2024 chose a manual. SlashGear does not link the underlying Ford statement or explain how the figure was calculated, so it is best treated as a secondary-reported statistic rather than a fully documented measure of demand. The same outlet’s October 2, 2026 article discusses Farley’s remark, while CarExpert and Road & Track reported it on March 10, 2026.

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