Comeback of classic Mustang

The relaunched Mustang 32 builds on the original's popularity as the quintessential family cruiser. Photo / Supplied

The Mustang brand has had it pretty tough over the past few years. Once one of Australia's most popular range of small launches (or cruisers as the Aussies prefer), it finally slid into receivership just over a year ago.

With much of the world in recession, it was little surprise that the receivers' effort to sell the company as a going concern failed. What was a surprise was that the best-known name in Australian boat-making made a low-ball offer for the Mustang name and assets - and succeeded.

Bill Barry-Cotter founded Riviera and Maritimo, and now runs the latter. Apparently, he also had a soft spot for the Mustang brand and didn't want it to disappear. Mustang once enjoyed the same sort of reputation in Australia as Sea Nymph did here. But Barry-Cotter's low offer proved to be a fairly accurate representation of what he got: the brand's name and not much else. The designs he inherited proved to be of such low value that they were junked.

As Pacific Powerboat's Barry Tyler reported, Mustang prospered because it built a great family sports cruiser that sold at a competitive price. The Mustang 32 built its immense popularity on this basis: it was the quintessential family cruiser, perfect for a couple and the ideal "step up" from a trailer boat.

It was therefore logical that Barry-Cotter chose to relaunch his new brand with this model, although it was redesigned comprehensively.

At its launch, Barry-Cotter noted that models built under the previous owners were "simply not up to" the standards he expected and said he had no choice but to start again.

He was clearly keen to take the brand back to its roots. But how do you build to the standard he demands while still producing "affordable" models? "It was a constant challenge to make a quality boat, to save weight and to keep the price down," he says.

Tyler, one of the first to test drive the new model, says the new 32 boasts lines that are "very Mustang" although the "heinous 'bubble' design that so characterised the earlier sports cruiser cabin tops" has thankfully disappeared.

He seems impressed that Barry-Cotter has resisted the temptation to "do too much" with the new model.

"When you are a cruiser manufacturer it would be easy to build to those same heady standards, but Barry-Cotter has instead adopted an almost restrained approach."

The integral boarding platform is a good example. Instead of upping the ante with pushpits, grab rails and gear, the area has just a single feature seat. Large enough for comfort (and to contain the gas bottle), it is also small enough not to intrude on those fishing or getting in and out of the water via the secreted swim ladder.

But the design team have not forsaken their flair. This is obvious in the large cockpit where one finds a teak floor, a folding cherrywood table (complete with drink-holders), an L-shaped lounge and a generous serving of easily accessed stowage.

Mustang's cruiser design may seem a tad unusual to us Kiwis, with our unpredictable climate.

The cockpit area, some of it protected by the cabin roof, is also the boat's only living area: down below is reserved solely for the cabins and head.

On a fine day, it will be a wonderful place to while away the hours but one wonders about the lack of protection from the sun. In a cool breeze or when the rain comes, the options appear limited.

The galley (featuring a sink with hot and cold water, two-burner gas stove, 120-litre Waeco refrigerator and more stowage), the forward part of the settee and the helm station are under cover so brief periods of bad weather shouldn't prove a problem.

For a vessel that is unashamedly a weekender, the accommodation is spacious and comfortable. The main cabin in the bow has a queen-sized island bed, there is a second cabin with twin Pullman-style berths and a surprisingly roomy head/shower area. Given Barry-Cotter's background as one of Australia's top offshore powerboat racers, it's no surprise that the new Mustang is no slouch. The three engine options (all stern drives) are a 330hp D6 Volvo Penta diesel, a 350hp MerCruiser QSD diesel or an 8.2-litre 380hp MerCruiser 8.2 Magnum petrol engine.

The old petrolhead chose the latter for his first 32. Fitted to a Bravo III leg with twin 20-inch props, it can hit an exhilarating 37.5 knots at full throttle and handle virtually anything at a fast cruise of 26 knots.

With the combination of the Mustang brand, Barry-Cotter's name and his organisation's reputation for effective marketing, the 32's success across the ditch is almost a given.

Orams Marine in Westhaven represents Mustang on this side of the Tasman and, unfortunately, the stratospheric level of the Aussie dollar won't be doing them any favours.

In Australia, the new 32, as described here, has a price tag of A$220,000 ($286,000) - at its most basic the price drops to A$214,000.

This is considerably more expensive than a big trailer boat but a lot cheaper than any other small launch on the market.

Mustang 32

LOA: 9.85m

LWL: 9.67m

Beam: 3.175m

Draft: 1.05m

Displacement: 4800kg

Construction: GRP

Engine: 380hp MerCruiser 8.2 Magnum

Maximum speed: 37.5 knots

Cruising speed: 26 knots

Fuel capacity: 600 litres

Water capacity: 120 litres

Price: A$$220,000-A$214,000

Want to know more?
Check out Barry Tyler's review of the Mustang 32 in the May/June edition of Pacific Powerboat.