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Ford's Special Vehicle Team (SVT) today
unveiled the 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra Mystichrome package,
with color-shifting paint that changes from green to blue
to purple to black, at the 2003 New York Auto Show. The
package also features the industry's first production
application of color-shifting leather interior trim.
The 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra Mystichrome features an advanced
formula of color-shifting paint, first offered in 1996
on the SVT Mustang Cobra with Mystic paint. The original
formula changed from black to purple to root-beer brown.
Color-Shift Technology
The Special Vehicle Team worked with Alan Eggly, Ford's
color and trim director for North America, to develop
the Mystichrome paint and leather. Both the exterior and
interior treatments utilize ChromaFlair® light interference
pigments, from Flex Products, Inc. in Santa Rosa, California.
These tiny particles (each an average size of 17 microns)
are comprised of five layers of colorless film. Combined,
these layers produce shimmering, vibrant colors.
The microscopic layers act like a tiny prism: White light
is reflected off the core layer, and then split by outer
layers into visible colors. As the viewing angle changes,
so does the visible color. The color produced is controlled
by precise variances, measured in atoms, in the prismatic
layers: The thinnest ChromaFlair pigment shifts from gold
through silver and into light blue; The thickest pigment
shifts from silver through green, and into purplish blue.
Exterior Paint
ChromaFlair pigments were first used for an automotive
application on the 1996 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra with Mystic
paint. 'It was truly ground-breaking,' says Eggly. 'No
other manufacturer had used color-shifting paint on a
production car before. But, just as the handling and acceleration
have dramatically improved since 1996 on the SVT Mustang
Cobra, so has color-shifting technology. For 2004, we
were able to take Mystic paint and put it on steroids.'
Eggly challenged DuPont to create a new color-shifting
paint with visual performance to match the visceral performance
of the 390-horsepower SVT Mustang Cobra. To that end,
DuPont staff chemists started with Green/Purple ChromaFlair
pigments that shift from bright green through a range
of blues, and then into purple. The DuPont chemists blended
that with traditional black and green pigments for visual
balance and deep, rich colors. As a finishing touch, they
added a pinch of aluminum flakes to enhance bright, metallic
sparkle.
The resulting color shift is described by the DuPont chemists
as, 'a bright, metallic topaz that transitions to cobalt
blue, then to royal purple, and finally into a deep onyx
black.'
Because ChromaFlair pigments are stirred into a water
or solvent base like any paint additive, the paint does
not require special handling. As such, Mystichrome paint
will be applied at the Dearborn Assembly Plant, using
the same process of other factory colors. In addition,
Mystichrome passes the same rigorous durability tests
of any factory paint. Also, the dramatic color shifts
actually hide paint applied during body repair.
Interior Trim
Satisfied with the exterior hue, Eggly and the Ford Special
Vehicle Team turned their attention to the interior. 'The
interior needed something special to complement the stunning
exterior,' says Eggly. 'We considered spraying hard parts,
like the center stack or door handles, with Mystichrome
paint. Then I recalled a Ford supplier, Garden State Tanning
(GST), had developed leather colored with ChromaFlair
pigments.'
Garden State had remarkable success substituting ChromaFlair
for traditional leather pigments. To match the Mystichrome
exterior paint, GST starts with leather hides tanned with
a black dye. The same blue/green ChromaFlair pigment used
in the exterior paint, are mixed with leather-softening
oils, and then sprayed onto the surface. Finally, a clear
protective layer is applied to seal in the color.
The result is another automotive precedent-the first color-shifting
leather trim used by an OEM. Mystichrome leather, which
mimics the color shift of the exterior paint, is used
for the front and rear seat inserts, as well as sections
of the steering wheel wrap.
Again, the only change in the production process is the
pigment. Mystichrome leather has the same supple feel
and grain as the surrounding Midnight Black leather surfaces.
Also, the Mystichrome leather passes the same wear and
color-retention tests of traditional leather used by Ford
Motor Company.
For Eggly, it's the most compelling special-edition SVT
Mustang Cobra yet. 'The paint and interior trim perfectly
complement the dramatic style and explosive performance
of the SVT Mustang Cobra,' he says. 'The Mystichrome package
would not be appropriate for any other car, as the explosive
colors are tied to the emotion and passion found in the
SVT Mustang Cobra.'
Availability
For the 2004 model year, only 1,010 SVT Mustang Cobra
models, in either coupe or convertible body styles, will
be offered with the Mystichrome Appearance Package. The
package also includes chrome wheels as standard equipment.
Story by Ford Motor Company
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