Detroit, Michigan, has long been known as “Motor City.” About 9 miles west of downtown sits the major suburb of Dearborn. Ford’s Product Development Center has been there since 1953 and has produced legendary rides, including the Mustang, Thunderbird, and F-Series trucks.
In late 2025, the iconic motor company held a grand opening for its new World Headquarters. It sits on the same site as the old HQ, commonly known as “The Glass House,” which is officially scheduled for demolition. At 2.1 million square feet, it’s twice the size of the old HQ and includes six design studios and 26 vehicle turntables. It also supports twice as many employees (14,000) while using 50% less energy. Other amenities include 12 acres of greenspace, a 160,000-square-foot food hall, and over 100,000 square feet of interior courtyard space.
Another feature there is something you won’t find anywhere else in the world. In the lobby sits a bright orange, metallic-flake “Ute.” The metal shop in the Experimental Vehicle Building (EVB) hand-built the Frankensteinian concept. The front half is a sixth-generation Mustang, with the fascia, hood extractor, and vented front fenders coming off an S550 Shelby GT350. However, the back half of the car is something altogether different. The roof ends just beyond the B-pillar and was closed off with a glass window to create a cab. Ford removed the trunk and installed a production Ranger truck bed. The Mustang’s original decklid was converted into a fully functional tailgate and placed symmetrically between the taillights.
Utility vehicles are popular the world over
Apprentices built this Mustang Ute to gain practical, real-world experience. It took hundreds of hours to perfect the body lines, vehicle structure, and custom paint. According to Matt Korczyk, Ford’s U.S. Heritage Fleet manager, the Ute has a GT350 shell, but no powertrain is installed. They have no plans to put this into production…