Ford is the pony car that has been most popular in the first three months 2022, surpassing Dodge by a narrow margin.
Officially, the first three months of 2022 have been completed. Many automakers report sales quarterly, so we can compare the numbers in different segments. Although Pony cars make up a small percentage of total sales, they are a prominent segment that US automakers love to boast about. The Blue Oval takes the honour for the first quarter.
In sales for the first three months 2022, the Ford Mustang outsold the Dodge Challenger as well as the Chevrolet Camaro. 13986 models were sold, a 19% decrease from the previous year. However, the victory was not a significant one as Dodge only sold 11,124 Challengers during that same period. This is a 26 percent drop year-over-year, which is not good news for the aging muscle machine that ended 2021 up 3 percent.
The Camaro sales fell by 5.3 percent, but this means that numbers are even lower. Chevrolet only sold 6,710 Camaros during the period, which is less than half of the Mustang’s total sales. In fact, there were 811 more Corvettes sold in the first three months. It remains to be seen if Chevy’s war horse will survive 2022, but the numbers don’t look promising.
The Mustang will continue to live another generation and will feature V8 power. Spy photos captured seventh-generation Mustang prototypes on the road, with a spy camera clearly capturing the sound of a V8. Although we believe a manual transmission will be available, that is a variable at the moment. A hybrid Mustang may be available for the next-generation model. However, a fully electric Mustang may not make it to this generation.
The Challenger will be discontinued after 2023. We also know that a new all electric muscle car is planned for 2024. It’s not clear if it’s the next-generation Challenger. However, rumors have circulated that the new twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine will make its way into Dodge’s muscle car. No matter how you slice it, there will be major changes to the pony car lineup at Dodge and all US brands over the next few years.
It’s evident that automakers still face a variety of production problems. Although COVID cases have declined in number, they are still a problem occasionally. There is no signs of an end to the ongoing shortage of semiconductors. Russia’s invasion in Ukraine has created instability within the international community, which is having ripple effects on all aspects of auto parts and fuel costs.