2015 Ford Mustang convertible appears on the Empire State Building

 

2015 Ford Mustang convertible appears on the Empire State Building observation deck: Video shows how Ford accomplished the feat -- again

The 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang is upon us, and the Blue Oval is celebrating in style not too far from the floor of the New York auto show -- though about 1,000 feet higher up in the air.

In fulfillment of prophecy (or at least a Ford press release warning us that this was going to happen), a 2015 Ford Mustang convertible has has been positioned on the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building.

Of course, what makes this even more notable is that this isn't the first time a Mustang magically materialized on the Empire State Building's observation deck: Ford pulled the feat off once before, in October 1965, when a drop-top Mustang was posed atop the structure for a helicopter glamor shoot.

Some things have changed in the intervening half-century. “The car is bigger, longer and wider than what it was in 1965,” explained Mustang program manager Prakash Patel.

But other things haven't. “The Empire State Building,” he notes, “is exactly how it was 50 years ago.”

That's one of those things that would have seemed obvious to us only after we started trying to shoehorn the convertible into the freight elevator. Perhaps that's why Ford didn't invite us to be a part of this project.

To find out how the Mustang crew crammed the car into a decidedly non-car-sized space, check out the video below. Hint: it involves a lot of cutting and chopping. So if you find the sight of diced-up pony cars traumatic, you're probably going to want to take a pass on this video.

Head to the Empire State Building today or tomorrow (that's April 16 and 17 if you don't have a calendar handy) if you want to witness this Mustang miracle firsthand.

Published on Apr 14, 2014

As the world honors 50 years of Ford Mustang, what better way to celebrate one of the most iconic car brands than putting one back on top of one of the most iconic buildings? Getting a 2015 Ford Mustang convertible to the narrow observation deck of the Empire State Building 1,000 feet above the streets of Manhattan is no easy task. Here's how the crew got ready.

Bill Ford stands next to a 2015 Ford Mustang convertible 86 floors above the streets of Manhattan. Photo by Ford.

Before hauling the parts of this 2015 Ford Mustang convertible to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, everything was staged at ground level. Photo by Ford.

All parts had to fit into an elevator that was definitely not designed with the dimensions of a 2015 Ford Mustang in mind. Photo by Ford.

We'd never considered what a Mustang kit car could be like, but these photos got us thinking... Photo by Ford.

The Mustang convertible's doors arrive on the 86th floor. Photo by Ford.

Ready to burn rubber, 1,000 feet above New York. Photo by Ford.

Seats and windshield frame near the entrance to the Empire State Building's observation deck. Photo by Ford.

Read more:
By: Graham Kozak on 4/16/2014
http://www.autoweek.com/