[Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
Donald Mallinson
dmall@mwonline.net
Wed, 16 Apr 2003 16:42:23 -0500
Like I said, most of us with SHO's seem to be the type that
can accept anything neat with wheels, except for the CTS or
most of the Caddy line for you Ron! ;)
But I have been around the show circuit long enough to stand
behind the brand loyalty thing. And nobody...NOBODY will
tell me that a Mercury anything will outsell or even equal a
Ford thing in the market. Has never happened, and won't
ever happen.
Also you must remember that the Impala SS was marketed
specifically to the OLD farts that bought Impala's in the
past. They would have NEVER bought a STARFIRE Or Riviera if
GM had done that instead of the SS.
Same with the Marauder. If Ford didn't want to market to
the old farts, then why all the ads with the 60's cars and
smoking tires. Sure they wanted the guys that bought cars
in the 60's and THEY were all VERY brand specific and I know
that MOST Ford guys hated anything that didn't say FORD,
including Mercury. AND The Ford Galaxie XL 500 outsold the
Marauder by a wide margin.
Heck even the Ricer crowd is now lining up by brand. Don't
talk Mazda to a HONDA fan etc.
NO, not everyone is that way, but enough are, that my view
of the sales of a Ford labled "Galaxie XL500" instead of
Marauder are spot on. My opinion, but I stand firmly behind it.
Oh, and I don't have a "pro-American" bias, what i have is
something that you don't find much in the press today.. NO bias.
I give everything an equal chance, and don't dismiss
something just because it doesn't have a certain name. Thus
I can drive the new 530i and call it a wonderful car, better
than my 96 SHO, just not 45 grand better! (used SHO to new
BMW). I don't agree with you one bit on the interior
quality of the Deville. The new ones I have seen are
quality and also something you don't see a lot of, simple
and easy to drive. Less is more sometimes.
I don't review the Deville based on how it compares to the
M5 or a 911. I don't compare trucks to cars or vans to
sports cars. EVery car has an intended market. I judge
them based on that market. makes giving unbiased opinions a
lot easier.
I also don't give a car a free pass just because it has a
certain name. It must win me over.
Don Mallinson
Ron Porter wrote:
> although I'm an old fart who remembers the brand differentiation of years
> ago, I disagree. Doesn't mater if it's a Ford or a Mercury. I would buy
> whichever model appealed to me. If the current Marauder was a Galaxie 500, I
> still wouldn't buy a dog like that!!
>
> Ron Porter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Donald Mallinson [mailto:dmall@mwonline.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 3:36 PM
> To: ronporter@prodigy.net
> Cc: Shotimes
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>
>
> You must not hang around with many car people (and I know
> better!).
>
> Name has a LOT to do with it. Like I said, it would still
> be underpowered, but there are a LOT more (something like 20
> to 1?) FORD fans out there than Mercury. I didn't say that
> would make it a runaway best seller, but just that it would
> have sold a lot more.
>
> Sales is a numbers game, and if there was any way to do
> it,...go back and try again, I would bet any amount that the
> same vehicle with FORD as a name and the Crown Vic grill
> would have sold at least twice as many cars by now. If you
> think about it, you have to agree. It still would be a
> failure, but not as big a failure.
>
> And there aren't many FORD fans that would have a Mercury in
> their garage, kissing cousins or not.
>
> Don Mallinson
>
> Ron Porter wrote:
>
>>The Ford-Mercury name had nothing to do with it. The car is a dog, it
>
> would
>
>>have sold as poorly if it were a Ford. The CV LX Sport gives up almost no
>>performance, and lists for $7K less........but I'm not sure if that was
>>selling very well, either.
>>
>>The S/C Cobra motor in the Marauder would have sold every one that they
>>could build.
>>
>>Ron Porter
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
>>[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Donald Mallinson
>>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 3:17 PM
>>To: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
>>Cc: Shotimes
>>Subject: Re: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>>
>>
>>Marauder is dead. NO more of them to be made after the
>>first year.
>>
>>Local dealer also got in a BLUE one! Still has the two he
>>originally got (one with my name on it, I promtly removed my
>>name after driving it).
>>
>>They predicted selling 15,000 or more the first year, so
>>far, they have sold under 3000. Total failure, that could
>>have been predicted as soon as they put Mercury on the body
>>instead of FORD. The Marauder didn't sell back in the 60's
>>worth a darn, these things sell to the people that bought
>>them back then, ask the SS Impala guys! Nobody was
>>clamoring for them to bring back the Marauder, but a LOT of
>>Ford people wanted a new XL500 Galaxie! Same, car, Ford
>>grill, Ford name and it would have sold twice as many,
>>probably still a dismal failure without more power, but
>>guaranteed failure with Mercury on it!
>>
>>Don M.
>>
>>Ron Porter wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Speaking of Impala SS.....it seems that all talk about the Marauder has
>>>totally stopped!!
>>>
>>>I suspect that sales are in the toilet. For a car that I originally
>>
>>thought
>>
>>
>>>would absolutely positively be my next car, it has totally dropped off my
>>>radar screen as something that I would even consider buying.
>>>
>>>Ron Porter
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Don McKinnon (AST) [mailto:dmckinnon@asttechlabs.com]
>>>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 2:36 PM
>>>To: Ron Porter; Dave Kegel; Shotimes
>>>Subject: RE: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>>>
>>>
>>>Maybe GM will be providing an Impalla SS model on this platform!
>>>
>>>I still dream of Ford shipping over the Falcon XR8 model from Australia
>>
>>with
>>
>>
>>>the 5.4l DOHC motor!
>>>
>>>Wishing right now I could just by $2000 in bicycles...
>>>
>>>Don McKinnon
>>>95 MTX - White/Mocha 91k miles
>>>Stage 1 Power Package with Stage 1cams
>>>Canyon Carver Road/Race Suspension
>>>Quaife & HiRevs Competition Clutch
>>>
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
>>>[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Ron Porter
>>>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 1:54 PM
>>>To: Dave Kegel; Shotimes
>>>Subject: RE: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>>>
>>>
>>>The one thing that irritates me about it......and it's why I still feel
>>
>>that
>>
>>
>>>the Cadillac guys are clueless....is that they are basically using the
>>>Corvette motor in it. Now, the Corvette-Z28-T/A motor is a nice, advanced
>>>pushrod motor.....in a Chevy or a Pontiac....but why not have a unique
>>>Cadillac with a kick-ass Northstar that does 400 HP?
>>>
>>>I just get the feeling that the GM guys just don't understand what it
>>
>>truly
>>
>>
>>>takes to compete in the M5 market.
>>>
>>>Ron Porter
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
>>>[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Dave Kegel
>>>Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 1:33 PM
>>>To: Shotimes
>>>Subject: Re: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>>>
>>>
>>>There's more info, and a picture of it here:
>>>
>>>http://www.cadillac.com/cadillacjsp/futuremodels/vseries/overview.html
>>>
>>>I don't really like its looks either, but it sounds like a hell of a fun
>>
>>car
>>
>>
>>>nonetheless. Lot's of HP, RWD, a V8 stick, and four doors.
>>>
>>>Dave
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
>>>To: "Shotimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
>>>Sent: April 16, 2003 12:21 PM
>>>Subject: [Shotimes] (OT) CTS-V in Detroit Free Press
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>And the car is still ugly.......
>>>>
>>>>http://www.freep.com/money/autoreviews/cts15_20030415.htm
>>>>
>>>>Anyway, what caught my eye in the article was this paragraph:
>>>>
>>>>"Cadillac tested the car extensively on Germany's famous Nuerburgring
>>>>racetrack, which led to suspension upgrades, including a bar connecting
>>>
>>>the
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>right and left front suspension towers for better handling and steering
>>>
> at
>
>>>>high speeds."
>>>>
>>>>So the engineers scammed a trip to Germany to run the 'Ring, just to
>>>>determine that the car needed a strut tower brace? I would like to think
>>>>it's what a marketing wonk was told to put in the story, but if that's
>>>
>>>what
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>it took GM to figure it out, they still are clueless. I don't think that
>>>
>>>BMW
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>engineers are losing any sleep!!
>>>>
>>>>Ron Porter
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>Shotimes mailing list
>>>>Shotimes@autox.team.net
>>>>http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes
>>>
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>>
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