The “California Special,” as it applies to legacy automaker Ford (F), is a special-edition option package that includes several cosmetic changes. Normally it was applied to Mustangs, and now, the Mustang Mach-E is getting its turn at bat, reports note. This was not especially big news, but it was good enough for shareholders, who gave Ford a fractional boost in Monday afternoon’s trading.
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Normally, the California Special comes with things like specific graphics or exterior accents. Some of these come in the unique “Rave Blue” color. But for the Mach-E, Ford went somewhere a little different. Rave Blue does get a comeback here, but here, the Mach-E gets a new set of carbon gray wheels, a Rave Blue pony emblem, and a hood graphic that was designed to evoke the California coastline. Performance seats using Miko and Navy Pier ActiveX materials are also in play.
Exterior designer Stefan Taylor noted, “We didn’t want to copy and paste what we did with the Mustang two-door. The design honors the Mustang Mach-E’s place in the Mustang family, while giving it its own identity.”
So What’s With the Keypads?
Meanwhile, Ford also revealed why it still puts keypads on the doors, even these days. Ford calls it SecuriCode, or originally, Keyless Entry. It was designed to be an alternate way to get into a Ford vehicle that did not require a key inserted into a lock. Now, with wireless fobs a standard, it is easy to wonder why Ford sticks with the keypad.
The answer is simple: sheer convenience. For those who want to leave their phone, or their key fob, in the car, the SecuriCode represents a way to lock those materials in the car yet still unlock the car later. Valuable, if only in certain situations, but just having the option is important enough to Ford to keep going with the concept.
Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on two Buys, 10 Holds and two Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 9.56% rally in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $11.48 per share implies 4.21% downside risk.
