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Ford’s CEO Promises to Keep One Enthusiast Feature Alive for as Long as Possible

Manual transmission enthusiasts have no fear, especially if you’re a Mustang fan.

Black leather manual gear shift knob with silver top and white stitching in a car interior.Ford
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By Chris Chin

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If you’re a Ford fan and constantly living in fear of the disappearing manual, you can rest easy. Speaking to CEO Jim Farley, CarAdvice learned that Dearborn isn’t letting one of its most coveted features go the way of the dodo.

While attending the 2026 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, Farley confirmed the manual will be part of Ford’s portfolio for the foreseeable future. But mainly, and probably strictly, for the Mustang coupe and convertible.

No boring cars at Ford

Silver Ford Mustang driving on a winding desert road at sunset with headlights on.
Don’t worry, the Ford Mustang’s optional manual isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Ford

Farley is a self-professed car enthusiast who also happens to have a background in motorsports and racing. Thus, when asked about the future of the manual, particularly in reference to the transmission’s application in the Mustang, he quickly responded candidly.

“Out of our cold, dead hands will we not have a manual Mustang,” Farley said in his interview, exclaiming that the standard Mustang won’t do away with the three-pedal option anytime soon.

Black leather interior of an orange Shelby convertible with a Mustang logo on the steering wheel.
The Ford Shelby GT350 thankfully also has the option for three pedals.
Shelby American

Because of his love of four-wheeled machines, Farley also expressed his displeasure towards boring cars. Which, some believe that this influenced his decision to eventually can the Escape, out of his distaste for “all those generic, two-row crossovers that dominate our industry.”

“I really believe Ford best serves the working people and enthusiast drivers,” Farley continued, while speaking to CA. “And that’s increasingly off-road as well as on-road, and I like to say we don’t have any boring cars at Ford.”

Manual ‘Stangs forever

Gray Ford Mustang GT with 60 Years badge driving on a road with blurred green trees in the background.
The manual transmission is only available on V8-equipped ‘Stangs, so EcoBoost fans are sadly out of luck.
Ford

Currently, the Ford Mustang comes with the choice of a 10-speed automatic or a six-speed manual. However, the three-pedal option is only available with Ford’s venerable 5.0-liter naturally-aspirated “Coyote” V8.

The base 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo-four option only comes with the automaker’s 10-speed automatic. That means you’ll need to at least opt for the Mustang GT or the Dark Horse to be able to opt for a manual rower.

Ford Mustang GTD photographed from behind with tail lights on waiting sitting in a wind tunnel
The Mustang GTD only comes with an automatic for the sake of performance, proving that manuals these days are more of a novelty.
Ford

The latest Ford Shelby GT350 is also the latest Mustang to come with a manual. But Ford’s automatic is also optional for both the GT350 and the Super Snake.

For those who want the motorsports-bred Mustang GTD racecar-for-the-road, only an automatic is available for performance reasons.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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