Ford Mustang has unveiled a new art car in collaboration with creative collective, Haus of Thrills, for Mustang’s 60th anniversary. Using V8 engine recordings from the six previous models of Mustang, Haus of Thrills has created a design that represent these recordings using six lines that run across the fittingly named 'Thrill Horse' car in striking colours and bold lines. Just debuted at Silverstone on the 27th October, the car celebrates sixty years of Mustang's iconic heritage.
(For more on iconic car brands, check out our list of best car logos on the road today for more examples of impactful design).
The story behind the design of the 60th anniversary Mustang "doesn’t start with me saying, 'oh, Ford approached me,'" says Kyle Wilkinson, director of Haus of Thrills. His paintings were already being exhibited at Silverstone at the time, and he was only nine months into his "contemporary art and excitement factory" Haus of Thrills. "I just dropped them an email. Then they said, 'give us an idea we can’t say no to,'" Kyle explains. "And that’s when I had to get the thinking cap on."
Ford wanted something meaningful – they didn’t want to make a car that was just for the looks. "They wanted it to have depth," Kyle says.
These lines of red, white and blue create "the DNA of the past six generations […] presented on the new seventh generation car." As a finishing touch, the engine recordings of each car were recorded from real owners’ cars, whose names have been printed on the rear bumper. A concept this strong "takes the subjectivity out of it," giving it an appeal that lies in its historic and cultural meaning as well as its design, whether or not someone likes the way it’s visually represented (although, if you’ve seen it, how could you not love it?). Kyle has created a car that celebrates the past while combining it into something completely new and impactful, truly giving Ford something they couldn’t "say no to".
Mustang says that "the debut of Thrill Horse underscores the Mustang’s commitment to honouring its legacy while charging toward an exciting, dynamic future," clearly proud of the creation formed from this exceptional collaboration.
What was the most taxing part of the project? Sourcing the vintage cars, says Kyle. He was given only a five-week deadline for the project. With one car in Germany, another in Jersey, and the others difficult to track down, the time crunch was a "logistical nightmare", but would not have been possible without Ford’s support, who "helped with all of it," proof that a designer only needs that one email back to make their wildest childhood dreams flourish.
The project has captured the attention of both car enthusiasts and art aficionados – bridging a gap between meaningful art and people who wouldn’t usually go looking for it. Kyle points out that many Mustang owners "wouldn’t necessarily go to an art gallery", meaning that people who wouldn’t usually encounter artwork with such depth have had their eyes opened to a whole new side of culture. "And that’s kind of the point," says Kyle. "To break down the barriers." He emphasises that although the majority of people have loved both the design and the concept, he found at the debut that the few people who weren’t as sure about the design still liked the concept behind it. With Silverstone an entirely original site of encounter for a work of conceptual art, Kyle has proven that these two contrasting sectors of culture can in fact be complimentary.
For him, this project was "11 year old Kyle’s dream," as much as it was a career move. He says that "out of any car in the world – this would be the one. You could have put a Ferarri in front of me but I would choose this car."
"A beloved fan" of Mustang since the age of eleven, Kyle’s proudest moment of this project is not only "getting something so fitting for the occasion," but also the determination that enabled him to get to this point in his career. He mentions that maintaining the self-belief to persevere and know that as a creative, "you are right" for what you want to do, is one of the biggest challenges. In his 20s, he said while he "would have bitten someone’s limbs off" for this project, he never would have believed it. "I made this happen myself," says Kyle proudly; adding on that the artists who are determined are the ones who end up getting what they want. And throw in "a little bit of luck too," he adds. Read more about the Haus of Thrills and Ford Mustang collaboration on the Haus of Thrills website.
And if, like Kyle, you want to come up with a killer pitch to collaborate with your favourite brand, read how to celebrate a brand's heritage.
