Soon you will be able to cover your Ford in graphics, really easily. The new venture aims to take a slice of the large customisation market by offering the service through a dedicated website. Initially, it will be that performance powerhouse, the Fiesta, that will be available for customisation. However, further down the line, there will be the option to customise more conventional vehicles for personalisation – the Mustang and F150. Eventually, it will apply to all Ford models, however, at present it appears to only be available in the US, and we’re not yet sure if you’ll be able to make your Transit van faster, or at least more furious, using this new website.
“Ford knows that customers want a vehicle to be all their own,” said Jim Abraham, Ford’s Licensed Accessories manager. “The Ford Custom Graphics website complements our strong accessory portfolio and enables customers to put a personal stamp on their vehicle.”
All it takes is a few clicks of a computer mouse.
“You click on your vehicle and its exterior color, select the graphics you like, and then the website will show you exactly how the designs will look on your car or truck,” explained Abraham.
Approximately 50 designs were created specifically for each vehicle. All are available in a variety of colours and sizes and were designed with the target customer in mind.
“Mustang owners might prefer race-themed graphics like stripes, flames or matte black accents, while our F-150 customers might like something a little more rugged like camouflage or a faux diamond plate aluminum look,” said Abraham. “The neat thing about the website is that we’re tailoring the designs to our customers.”
According to Abraham, the website will continue to evolve over time to meet consumer demand and expectations.
“The whole idea behind the program is to offer our customers new ways to personalize their vehicle and provide a new exterior look throughout the ownership experience,” he said. “In order to do this, we are going to keep revising the available graphics packages to give customers fresh new ideas to choose from.”
Ford Custom Graphics offers customers the look of custom-painted designs, but without the expensive price tag, according to Tom Stemple, chief executive officer of Original Wraps, Inc., a provider of “on-demand” custom graphics to the automotive industry and the company that developed the website for Ford.
“Vinyl wraps are typically half the cost of custom paint work,” he said. “Another advantage is that they can be easily removed if the customer wants a new design or decides to sell the vehicle. Paint is permanent, and custom-painted vehicles are often much more difficult to resell.”
All of the custom graphics feature 3M Scotchprint® On-Demand quality vinyl. They are professionally installed at Ford dealerships and include a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty.
