Skip to main content

Ford shows off 50 years of innovation in a combined 1965/2015 Mustang

mustang 1965 2015 museum 1500x1000
Ford put together two half Mustangs for a museum exhibit Ford
Would you jump into a Mustang with a split vintage? Visitors to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum will get to do just that, according to Mashable. It’s not actually a real vehicle, or even a whole one, but, purely for demonstration purposes. Ford recently built two half-model Mustangs, a 1965 version and a 2015 model, to showcase 50 years of innovation. The two halves were joined together and that vehicle is part of the museum’s Property Power Exhibit that focuses on the significance of intellectual property.

You can sit at the wheel on either side of the fused Mustang. The 1965 version is left-hand drive and the 2015 right-hand drive. From the front view, the newer model looks a bit lower at the front lip of the hood and an inch or two higher at the back of the hood, just in front of the windshield. The 1965 model represents — besides the first year of an American archetype — Ford’s patents that year for rear seat-speakers and power convertible tops.

Besides its overall huskier look, the 2015 Mustang GT interior is much more plush on the inside than the original model, from the console display and leather-wrapped steering wheel to the dark amber dashboard lights. Of course, the safety, performance, comfort, and convenience in the newer car are generations ahead of the original. Neither half of the exhibit has an engine (or a rear wheel, for that matter), but visitors can sit in the respective driver’s seats and try the controls. They can also listen to recordings of the V-8 engines that were available for Mustangs in their model years.

National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum at USPTO: Special Delivery

An important point to mention for the 1965 Mustang version is that no real car was harmed for the exhibit. They didn’t cut up an original 1965 car. They used a replica. The 2015 model, however, is the real deal. Parts of one, anyway.

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more