Error cars are often, counterintuitively, highly valued because of the questions they pose. How did this pass quality control? Where was it built? Did someone have a bad Thursday morning? It happened much more often when cars were largely built by humans but extraordinarily rare in the world of rigidly structured, automated production. This 2024 Ford Mustang with mismatched seats is a real rarity, then.
How this could happen, I’m not sure. Parts are closely tracked from assembly at a supplier, to shipping, to which exact production car the part is assigned, and when it’s due to get installed. Those of us who wrench on the new stuff often see bar codes on all sorts of parts. This is how they get cataloged and tracked for production. Not to mention the strict quality control that modern cars get put through, with a dedicated force of inspectors that ensure the car is built to specification.
But somehow, this new Ford Mustang got a pair of mismatched Recaro seats. Granted, they seem to be the same style of seat, but have totally different upholstery. The driver’s seat is trimmed in perforated leather with a white Recaro logo. The passenger seat is trimmed with microsuede inserts, leather bolsters, and a blue Recaro logo. They are very clearly different. But after some minor digging, I might have solved the mystery of which seat actually belongs to this car.
A 2024 Mustang GT Premium with Recaro seats can only have leather, while the top-spec Dark Horse can get Recaros with the microsuede. There’s a small discrepancy in that the Dark Horse uses blue leather trim with black microsuede, while the error seat in this Mustang is black. Either way, the seat that should be in this car is the leather one. Where the other seat came from is a mystery, and could even be an error seat on its own.
One day, if left untouched, this car will totally cross the auction block. I can already see it, someone claiming a one-of-one Mustang. Folks, this is your chance.
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