The design of the new Galloping Pony is unmistakably Mustang

Designing a brand new generation of the Ford Mustang - one of the most recognisable and iconic cars of our time - must be a daunting task. So it comes as no surprise that the design work for the all new 2015 'global' Mustang, which saw daylight at the end of last year, started as early as 2009!

Part of the appeal of the Mustang brand over the years has been the way it combines style, performance and everyday usability thanks to its four-seat cabin and decent boot space. These attributes had to be retained for the new design.

With these basic parameters, Ford designers established a footprint that is similar to the fifth generation model.

Several hundred sketches were submitted in early 2010 incorporating many of the primary Mustang DNA cues to varying degrees.

Perhaps the most prominent of those cues that did not make the final cut was the scoop, or 'hockey stick' profile, on the flanks of the car. Many of the early proposals included some form of this visual feature, but ultimately it was not included in the final production model.

After further development, three themes went into the final selection phase in early 2012. By the summer of 2012, the main Michigan studio took the lead on developing the Mustang into a production car.

For the cabin, the team paid close attention to the relationships of the various elements, and designed them in a way to achieve optimum fit and finish.

The final theme was inspired by the wing of an airplane, with the double brow carved out of the wing. All the gauges, registers, toggle switches and other design elements are placed into the wing.

The designers have also taken advantage of LED lighting technology at both ends of the car, and the modern lighting technology are also used for the three gills mounted in the head lamps - reminiscent of the head lamp design from the original 1965 Mustang.

Although the convertible variant is clearly part of the same product family as the fastback, much of the bodywork is actually unique to the soft-top car. Subtle but important differences in the shape of the rear bodywork give the convertible a cohesive shape of its own. From the raised and straightened muscle line on the rear haunches to the recontoured boot lid, the new Mustang convertible has a more linear quality whether the top is up or down, giving the car its own distinct presence on the road.