Click to enlarge.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) said today that it is introducing the 2026 Mustang Mach-E® GT California Special. It’s a special edition as an optional package that brings a heritage-inspired design to the Mustang family’s newest member. In the 1960s, California dealers were responsible for a large portion of all Mustang sales and wanted their contributions to the vehicle’s success commemorated through a unique package. In 1968, the original California Special was born. The coupe’s original red and black accents and aero features would define the trim package for years. Just over 4000 of the original California Special Mustang vehicles were built.
“There is something about the idea of the California spirit that has always been associated with the Mustang brand,” Kristen Keenan, color and materials designer for Ford, said. “And now Mustang Mach-E joins as part of the family.”
With the launch of the seventh generation of the Mustang two-door in 2024, Ford updated what California Special could be. “We made some bold changes,” Stefan Taylor, exterior designer at Ford, said. “We are creating something new for Mustang brand today while making sure we respect its heritage. “We thought about what we could do on the color and materials side to tell the story from a more modern perspective.’”
That year, Ford removed the side scoops, changed the vehicle graphics, and stepped away from the red and black accents in favor of a new color.
“With California and its beautiful coastline, blue is a natural choice,” Keenan said. “We developed a new color called Rave Blue. It travels from light to dark, just like ocean water, and it’s extremely chromatic, going to a blue violet in some cases. It’s just a beautiful dynamic color.”
Rave Blue is now on the California Special package, found on both the Mustang two-door and the upcoming 2026 Mustang Mach-E.
The 2026 Mustang Mach-E threads similar design elements with its Mustang two-door sibling, but both Keenan and Taylor say they’re not meant to be identical.
“We didn’t want to copy and paste what we did with the Mustang two-door,” Taylor said. “The design honors the Mustang Mach-E’s place in the Mustang family, while giving it its own identity.”
Click to enlarge.
Both vehicles have Rave Blue accents on their wheels, grille, exterior badges, and interiors, and they both have the updated “California Special” font, which trades the ’60s heritage style for a block look.
The Mustang Mach-E takes on additional design elements, including:
- 20-inch carbonized gray wheels with a printed GT/CS logo, along with gloss black aero wheel covers.
- An illuminated Rave Blue pony emblem on the grille.
- A special hood graphic, inspired by the California coastline.
“It has the California Special word-mark on the hood, with radiating sunset lines in layered gray, black, and a blue accent representing the ocean,” Taylor said.
The interior also sets the Mustang Mach-E GT California Special apart. Performance seats are upholstered in Navy Pier ActiveX and Miko material with reflective blue and silver stripe.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
First Look – 2026 Mustang Mach-E GT
Click to enlarge.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) said today that it is introducing the 2026 Mustang Mach-E® GT California Special. It’s a special edition as an optional package that brings a heritage-inspired design to the Mustang family’s newest member. In the 1960s, California dealers were responsible for a large portion of all Mustang sales and wanted their contributions to the vehicle’s success commemorated through a unique package. In 1968, the original California Special was born. The coupe’s original red and black accents and aero features would define the trim package for years. Just over 4000 of the original California Special Mustang vehicles were built.
“There is something about the idea of the California spirit that has always been associated with the Mustang brand,” Kristen Keenan, color and materials designer for Ford, said. “And now Mustang Mach-E joins as part of the family.”
With the launch of the seventh generation of the Mustang two-door in 2024, Ford updated what California Special could be. “We made some bold changes,” Stefan Taylor, exterior designer at Ford, said. “We are creating something new for Mustang brand today while making sure we respect its heritage. “We thought about what we could do on the color and materials side to tell the story from a more modern perspective.’”
That year, Ford removed the side scoops, changed the vehicle graphics, and stepped away from the red and black accents in favor of a new color.
“With California and its beautiful coastline, blue is a natural choice,” Keenan said. “We developed a new color called Rave Blue. It travels from light to dark, just like ocean water, and it’s extremely chromatic, going to a blue violet in some cases. It’s just a beautiful dynamic color.”
Rave Blue is now on the California Special package, found on both the Mustang two-door and the upcoming 2026 Mustang Mach-E.
The 2026 Mustang Mach-E threads similar design elements with its Mustang two-door sibling, but both Keenan and Taylor say they’re not meant to be identical.
“We didn’t want to copy and paste what we did with the Mustang two-door,” Taylor said. “The design honors the Mustang Mach-E’s place in the Mustang family, while giving it its own identity.”
Click to enlarge.
Both vehicles have Rave Blue accents on their wheels, grille, exterior badges, and interiors, and they both have the updated “California Special” font, which trades the ’60s heritage style for a block look.
The Mustang Mach-E takes on additional design elements, including:
“It has the California Special word-mark on the hood, with radiating sunset lines in layered gray, black, and a blue accent representing the ocean,” Taylor said.
The interior also sets the Mustang Mach-E GT California Special apart. Performance seats are upholstered in Navy Pier ActiveX and Miko material with reflective blue and silver stripe.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.