# Stern Teams up With Ford for Next Title **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2013-05-01 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/mustang.html --- ## Analysis Stern Pinball announced a partnership with Ford Motor Company to create a Mustang-themed pinball machine celebrating the car's 50th anniversary. The game, designed by John Trudeau, will feature racing driver Tanner Foust as narrator, artwork by designer Camilo Pardo, and licensed music from Sony Music spanning five decades of Mustang history. Pricing and availability details were to be announced in early 2014. ### Key Claims - [MEDIUM] Mustang pinball is designed by John Trudeau, his first game for Stern since joining in May 2013 — _Article states 'believed to be designed by John Trudeau' — phrasing suggests sourcing uncertainty_ - [HIGH] Game features voice of Tanner Foust, professional racing driver and Top Gear US co-host — _Explicitly stated in announcement and confirmed in press release_ - [HIGH] Artwork comes from Camilo Pardo, famed Ford GT designer who parted with Ford in 2009 — _Confirmed in both article narrative and official press release_ - [HIGH] Soundtrack includes licensed music from Sony Music covering five decades of Mustang — _Stated in announcement and press release_ - [HIGH] Mustang announcement is unusual because Stern revealed title without showing pictures or game features — _Article explicitly notes this atypical approach_ ### Notable Quotes > "The Mustang is one of the most iconic, American cars ever made. What better way to celebrate 50 years of Mustang than with the launch of the Ford Mustang pinball game?" > — **Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball**, Official press release > _Executive affirmation of partnership importance and celebration of dual American icons_ > "Ford Motor Company is extremely excited to partner with Stern Pinball on this state-of-the-art Mustang pinball machine. Both Stern and Ford are proud American companies with industry leading, iconic brands." > — **Mark Bentley, Ford Global Brand Licensing**, Official press release > _Ford's official position emphasizing partnership between two major American brands_ > "Get ready to start your engines and celebrate 50 years of Mustang. The Mustang pinball machine, exclusive to Ford, drops players into the driver's seat of one of the hottest cars on the street." > — **Stern Pinball press release**, Official announcement > _Marketing positioning emphasizing exclusive nature and driving experience theme_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Stern Pinball | company | World-leading pinball manufacturer announcing Mustang partnership | | Ford Motor Company | company | Automotive manufacturer partnering with Stern for Mustang pinball machine | | Mustang | game | New Stern Pinball game celebrating Ford Mustang 50th anniversary, announced December 2013 | | John Trudeau | person | Believed designer of Mustang pinball, joined Stern in May 2013 | | Tanner Foust | person | Professional racing driver and Top Gear US co-host; provides narration for Mustang game | | Camilo Pardo | person | Artist and fashion designer; former Ford GT designer; creating artwork for Mustang pinball | | Gary Stern | person | Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball; quoted on partnership importance | | Mark Bentley | person | Ford Global Brand Licensing; quoted on Ford's partnership enthusiasm | | Sony Music | company | Providing licensed music tracks spanning five decades of Mustang for game soundtrack | | Star Trek | game | Previous Stern Pinball title; Mustang positioned as follow-up in early 2014 | ### Topics - **Primary:** Licensing partnerships and IP collaborations, Stern Pinball product roadmap and announcements - **Secondary:** Game designer assignments and talent acquisition, Marketing and anniversary celebrations, Automotive brand collaboration with entertainment ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Announcement framed as celebratory partnership between two American icons. Both companies express enthusiasm. Unique positioning as 50th anniversary tribute. No negative sentiment detected. ### Signals - **[licensing_signal]** Major automotive brand licensing deal with Ford Motor Company for exclusive Mustang pinball machine (confidence: high) — Official partnership announcement with both companies' press releases and partnership language - **[market_signal]** Unusual announcement strategy: Stern reveals game title and partnership without showing game features or images, leveraging 50th anniversary timing (confidence: high) — 'It is unusual for Stern Pinball to officially announce their upcoming title without revealing any pictures or indeed anything much about the game's features' - **[personnel_signal]** John Trudeau assigned as designer for Mustang, his first Stern project since May 2013 hire (confidence: medium) — Article states 'believed to be designed by John Trudeau' suggesting secondary sourcing - **[announcement]** Stern Pinball officially announces Mustang themed pinball machine celebrating Ford's 50th anniversary (confidence: high) — Full press release with quotes from both Stern Pinball CEO and Ford Global Brand Licensing representative --- ## Transcript Date: 5th December, 2013 After a raft of music- and superhero-based games, Stern Pinball today announced they have teamed up with Ford Motor Company to provide the theme for their next title. Today is a significant date, because not only has the 2015 model just been revealed, but it also marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic Mustang brand, and the Mustang is the inspiration for the next Stern game to follow Star Trek in early 2014. The 2015 Mustang, from Ford and Stern Pinball It is unusual for Stern Pinball to officially announce their upcoming title without revealing any pictures or indeed anything much about the game's features, but the 50th anniversary of the brand was too good an opportunity to miss. Mustang - the pinball - is believed to be designed by John Trudeau, and would be his first game for Stern since joining in May 2013. All that has been revealed about the game so far is that it will feature the voice of Ryan Tanner Foust, a professional racing driver and co-host of the American version of the BBC's Top Gear programme. Accompanying Ryan Tanner on the soundtrack will be a number of licensed music tracks from Sony Music covering the five decades of the car. Artwork for the game will come from artist, fashion designer and designer of the Ford GT, Camilo Pardo, who parted ways with the motoring giant on less-than-amicable terms in 2009. Here's how Stern Pinball announced the tie-up with Ford and their joint venture, the Mustang pinball machine. Stern Pinball Announces Partnership with Ford Motor Company World’s Leading Maker of Arcade-Quality Pinball Celebrates 50 Years of Ford Mustang with Newest Machine MELROSE PARK, IL – Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s leading maker of real pinball games, proudly announced today the merging of two American icons. Get ready to start your engines and celebrate 50 years of Mustang. The Mustang pinball machine, exclusive to Ford, drops players into the driver’s seat of one of the hottest cars on the street. Narrated by professional racing driver, Ryan Tanner Foust, this machine sets the tone for a fast paced, white-knuckle game. The game comes equipped with top-of-the-line features including artwork painted by famed Ford GT designer, Camilo Pardo, and the ultimate soundtrack from Sony Music featuring five decades of hits. “The Mustang is one of the most iconic, American cars ever made,” said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. “What better way to celebrate 50 years of Mustang than with the launch of the Ford Mustang pinball game? Everyone at Stern is buzzing with excitement about this launch. From the artwork and game features to the stellar soundtrack, we have created a tribute that will make Mustang and pinball fans worldwide proud.” Mark Bentley, Ford Global Brand Licensing says, “Ford Motor Company is extremely excited to partner with Stern Pinball on this state-of-the-art Mustang pinball machine. Both Stern and Ford are proud American companies with industry leading, iconic brands. Pinball aficionados from around the globe will appreciate the unique blend of Mustang heritage and Stern craftsmanship in this fantastic machine.” The Ford Mustang game continues the Stern Pinball tradition of producing quality pinball machines for young and old. The company traces its lineage to the 1930’s in Philadelphia when Sam Stern entered the business of operating pinball games. Sam subsequently became part owner and president of Williams Manufacturing, a pioneer in the pinball industry, and passed his lifelong enthusiasm for the game and the business of pinball to his son, Gary, who founded Stern Pinball. Today pinball remains one of the world’s favorite pastimes. Pricing and Availability: Availability and pricing will be announced in early 2014. To learn more about the Ford Mustang pinball machine and Stern Pinball, please visit www.sternpinball.com. About Stern Pinball, Inc.: Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the leading producer of pinball games in the world. Stern’s highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture popular arcade-quality pinball games. Recent popular Stern titles include Star Trek, Metallica, Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, Spiderman and many more. All of Stern’s pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern’s expert team. Both pinball enthusiasts and casual players around the globe enjoy Stern’s games. For more information, please visit www.sternpinball.com. About Ford: Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 180,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com. Stern also produced this teaser for the game. You'll get all the latest news about Stern's upcoming Mustang pinball right here at Pinball News. Back to the News page Like this page? Share it with your Facebook friends: Back to the front page _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 07424870-18f4-4350-89d2-4bb5d4a39aa7*