It’s hard to believe that yesterday was the 47^th birthday of the unveiling of the Ford Mustang. That means we’re just three short years away from the 50^th anniversary of America’s favorite pony car. The designers for this special Mustang certainly have a heavy weight on their shoulders, and perhaps no one feels that weight as much as J Mays, the man in charge of the next-generation Mustang.

In an interview with USA Today, J Mays talks about how “tricky” it can be to redesign an iconic car without straying too far from the roots.

The USA Today Article is actually primarily concerned with the all-new 2012 VW Beetle, which Volkswagen finally unveiled this week. The gist of the article is how hard it is for car designers to be tasked with building a next-generation vehicle without losing the iconic feel. That’s why the next generation VW Beetle will still look a lot like its predecessor.

The Mustang is a bit different though, and every generation has its own unique flair and look. J Mays is the man tasked with designed the 2014 Mustang, which represents the 50^th anniversary with the vehicle. He tells USA Today that “is weighing pretty heavy on my shoulders, and I’m not about to screw that up.” He goes on to say that a lot of design ideas will end up tossed aside to please particular fans, and that requires taking a step back and keeping the Mustang’s heritage in focus.

Mays has his work cut out for him though, as for the first time in its history, Ford will be soliciting next-gen Mustang designs from around the world, so keeping this car as a favorite for Americans will certainly require a tricky balancing act. The rest of the article is a very interesting look at what designers go through with vehicles like the Mustang and Beetle, and we highly recommend taking a moment to read it (even if you don’t like the Beetle.)