I haven’t really been paying attention to all of Ford’s breathless emails about the new Mustang GT until today, when they sent a short, cryptic video. The video showed a simple, blinking amber light. Most people wouldn’t know or care about this light. But to true aficionados of the Tell-Tale, we can tell what it is: the return of the Deluxe Hood.
You see, there was once a time, way back in 1967, when Ford understood that the absolute essence of motoring pleasure lay in the ability of a driver to have full knowledge of what turns were being indicated without suffering the brutal indignity of tilting their head down and looking on that filthy dashboard for those mocking, blinking green arrows.
Ford knew there was a better way, and so, in 1967, offered the option to Mustang Buyers known as the Deluxe Hood. The Deluxe Hood, sometimes called the Turn Signal Hood, had a pair of heat extraction vents facing the driver and inset in those vents were two amber lights, connected to the turn indicators.
These served the same purpose as any of the turn-signal tell-tales that were popular in that era: keeping you in that all-important turn signal loop. and now they’re coming back.
The return of the Deluxe Hood and its tell-tales makes the 2016 Mustang GT the first new car to have external turn signal tell-tales in at least 20 years. I think a ‘96 or so Cadillac was the last to have these, fender-mounted in that case.
I’m delighted Ford is continuing to use the Mustang as its development platform for advanced turn-indication work: first sequential rear indicators, and now the return of the tell-tale. Now I’m actually excited to get behind the wheel of the new Mustang GT, and indicate the shit out of some turns.