Exterior Design Manager Reflects on Passion for Mustang, Development of All-New Model

Chris Walter didn’t start his career designing Ford Mustang, but it should be no surprise that he eventually became exterior design manager on the all-new, seventh-generation Mustang. His father owned at least 10 of the cars, dating back to its early years.

“I grew up with Mustang,” Walter said. “He would buy these cars, restore them, enjoy them and then move on to another one. I’ve grown up with them my entire life and learned how to drive in them. I definitely grew up in a car family, and my dad loved his Mustangs.” 

Today, Walter shares his passion for Mustang with his son, who learned how to drive a manual transmission in Walter’s 2010 Mustang GT. Walter is proud of his car, which features a Ford Performance racing exhaust and racing wheels, among other modifications.

“Driving it means freedom and the open road,” Walter said. “When I see my Mustang, it speaks to that rebellious nature inside. I feel a certain way when I get in it – you start it up and you hear that rumble of the exhaust and the throaty growl of the engine. It’s super responsive and it also looks badass.”

While his father instilled his appreciation for the Mustang brand, Walter’s path to working on the pony car wasn’t as apparent. Like many designers, Walter found himself drawing cars as a child. But his career path didn’t take him directly to Ford – or any automaker. After graduating from Columbus College of Art of Design in Ohio, Walter worked in product design before interviewing with Ford. He interviewed and was offered the job on the spot in 1999, a time when Ford was looking outside the industry for designers.

Walter started out designing wheels before moving to interior design and later to exterior design. In more than 20 years with Ford, Walter has worked predominantly on cars, as well as crossovers and SUVs. After working on the 2006 Fusion, he became the lead designer on the 2010 model and took a senior role on the 2013 edition.

“I was the Fusion guy for a while,” he said.

Walter also worked in Europe on the wagon version of Fusion (called Mondeo outside North America). After that, he joined the advanced design studio, where he worked on concepts, before transitioning to Mustang with the 2015 model. Other projects have taken him away from the pony car, though he made his way back with the Mustang Mach-E.

Reflecting on his time on Mach-E, Walter recalled the project morphed into an extraordinary opportunity once the decision was made to have it take on a Mustang theme.

“That got everyone marching in the same direction,” he said. “It energized and galvanized the entire team. It focused everyone on what the vehicle was – a Mustang.”

Beyond the morale boost, the change allowed the design team to give the vehicle traditional Mustang cues, such as a longer hood. The Mach-E also borrowed Mustang’s famous tri-bar taillamps, which were also incorporated into the headlamp design on Mach-E. The result harkens back to Mustang, but it also created the storage room expected in a SUV.

“When we pivoted to Mustang it changed the game for us,” Walter said. “The whole program understood what it was supposed to be.”

Mach-E provided a natural transition to the seventh-generation Mustang for Walter and others, who were leaning on their instincts and muscle memory to bring the all-new pony car to life.

“It just solidified all of those little DNA markers that make each Mustang car what it is supposed to be ,” he said. “When we were working on Mustang, you didn’t have to think about it – it’s just in you. The tools were already in our toolbox and we knew what needed to be executed. The all-new Mustang returns to its roots as an American muscle car with more chiseled and sharper surfaces and more angular traces.

The project was not without issues, though.

“The original design featured aggressive front ends, but didn’t push the needle enough,” Walter said.

There was, however, an edgier alternate model that was well-received by a group of millennial and Gen Z employees.

“We really wanted to leap more into the future with a modern edginess and interpretation of the iconic heritage Mustang design,” he said. “We leaned into this other theme and that was our north star from there.”

Development continued throughout the pandemic, as modelers worked onsite interpreting CAD designs and conducted virtual reviews. Designers slowly made their way back to the studios in the months that followed in March 2020.

“COVID did add a wrinkle, but I’m really proud of this Mustang and the cars that we were able to deliver,” Walter said. “We weren’t just designing one model, but three models with three unique front ends.”

For the first time, the Mustang EcoBoost and Mustang GT now have unique front ends and grilles. The new generation also includes a new performance car variant, the Mustang Dark Horse, which will build on the folklore of the Mustang.

And while the new Mustang will broaden the market with younger buyers, Walter said it’s not going to alienate Mustang purists.

“The 2024 Mustang offers something very unique in the market when our competitors are bowing out of the ICE realm,” he said. “Mustang delivers an ICE vehicle for those that still want a vehicle that rumbles.”

Despite the visual changes to the exterior, Walter said the interior is the most disruptive part of the new Mustang with its fresh cockpit feel and large, configurable screens.

“People are just going to get inside and go wow,” he said. “The interior is going to be the clincher.”

After all the twists and turns, Walter was onstage last month in downtown Detroit as the Mustang was finally unveiled to the entire world. He felt lucky, grateful and thankful to be a part of that moment.

“I was so excited to be part of the awesome team that delivered this car, he said. “It’s just such a special thing to be part of.”