BG Plant to run out 2004s and a couple C6s Next week

[sleepyhead]

Originally posted by Lil' Red
As far as the T-Bird goes it has it's good points and bad I think the price point is outrageous but I was speaking with a regional exec and he said it will only be built for three years so the concept is go retro for a short period of time and put it to rest.

Yup. Check this out...

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosins...a01-144063.htm

[Black Ice]

My goodness I just saw on the news that Ford is dropping the thunderbird after thhe 2005 model year. They went on to say only 4,500 TBirds have been sold so far this year. Ha Ha Ha I just read that Detroit news blurb that says Ford could bring it back with the right design...meaning the one they have IS NOT. I also get a kick out of him saying they are dropping it because they want to keep the resale value high...YEA RIGHT!

[Ctfoodguy2000]

The local Ford dealer has had the "new" Tbirds on his lot all winter. Initially he had a "fair market value mark up" of $10,000 next to the regular sticker. He was asking almost $50k for a TBird. Does anyone wonder why they aren't selling!

[Edmond]

I think the car manufacturers create an artificial market by limited runs so much. What is the car besides look? What happens when that unique feeling wears off? We're not talking ZR-1 or LT4 limited runs where the performance is so kick ass. We're talking about cosmetic things.

They just shoot themselves in the foot and the people who buy them at first with that huge markup aren't happy customers in the end.

[LongTimer]

Rob,

I think there is a big difference between the tasteful inclusion of modernized styling clues that suggest tradition and heritage - like the C5's side scoop that is very similar to the mid and late 70's side scoop - and complete retro styling like the T-Bird. The Bird is simply a '57 version that has been 'morphed onto a shortened LS6 chasis (sans fins).

Like the '53-ized C5 we've all seen (which I think is a better execution than the newer bird), it's nice, even fun to look at in the beginning, but do a lot of people really want to drive one for the next 4 years?

Now that Ford is flipping the Bird, we can see that the Ford fans don't even want total retro - in sufficient volume for on-going product life.

[Black Ice]

Well its all hype. Just wait till C6 comes out. The Z06 will be gone and forgotten just as the ZR1 was after the C5 arrived. Corvette Quarterly will all but scrub there mag of C5s as it becomes the Mag of C6 and every page will be festooned with C6s with page after page as to how its "The Best Vette Yet". Its the way the car Companies and there propaganda/spin Drs. work.

[LongTimer]

[i] Corvette Quarterly will all but scrub there mag of C5s as it becomes the Mag of C6 [/B]

Not just Quarterly. Every car zine knows that their sales jump 30-40% each month that they show a new vette rendition guess or a vette vs. the world comparo. They would love to alternate between Mustangs, BMWs, and Vettes all year long (we know the other two are inferior, but they sell mags).