[Shotimes] (OT) The T-bird is gone...

[Donelson Don]

ron

Good point about the north/south equation ..... personally  sounds like a conspiracy theory to me !

Your question, would I but a T-bird. Not my type of car and I am too tall.

With that said, if I was in the market for a convertible, and were a few inches shorter I would most certainly buy the car .. esp at  Z plan pricing ! 

The car drives incredible. It looks and feels expensive. Ford just did a marvelous job on the T bird.

Wife and I looked at a chrysler Lebaron convertible. Low thirties .. and for the difference I would buy a T bird all day long.

BUT ... u got to love dem SHO's !

dond

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
Date:  Sat, 26 Apr 2003 16:12:45 -0500

>Don:
>
>Five Main Points:
>
>	Your dealership is in Florida
>
>	The nostalgic age group lives in Florida (who may have owned an
>original '55-'57 Bird)
>
>	Florida is conducive to a convertible. Michigan is not.
>
>	Two of my very good friends work for Ford. Their suburbs are
>crawling with Ford products. I have NEVER seen any T-	Birds there.
>
>	Therefore: New T-Birds may sell in Florida, but beyond the Sunbelt
>states......sales suck.
>
>And no, I don't believe that there is any special dealer reallocation beyond
>the normal dealer trading on new cars.
>
>Don, if you know someone who wants a T-Bird, I'll bet they can get a
>SIGNIFICANT discount from sticker up here.
>
>Plus, you say it's a "great car". Would you spend your own dollars to buy
>one?????
>
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>Scroll down
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>Didn't think so!!
>
>Ron Porter
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Donelson Don [mailto:1badsho@mail.tnh.net] 
>Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2003 3:10 PM
>To: Ron Porter
>Cc: shotimes@autox.team.net
>Subject: RE: [Shotimes] (OT) The T-bird is gone...
>
>
>ron
>
>I am not sure about "sales" of the T bird being flat. There is no doubt that
>at there release they were a extremely popular.
>
>In general sales are still brisk and the T bird is a great car. I drove one
>for a day and I was very impressed actually. Solid car ... no rattles great
>body.
>
>I do know this ron some stores will sell T birds better for a variety of
>reasons. We do real well with the cars not because we are in a big
>metropolitan area but because we display them well and dont do a bump
>sticker as some stores have done over msrp.
>
>We still hold to sticker but sold a demo ( owners wifes car ) and discounted
>it like a 1000.
>
>I know that if ford thinks a dealer has too many T birds on the ground and
>are not marketing them ford will re-allocate the T-birds to stores like us
>who do well with them.
>
>dond 
>
>
>
>---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
>From: "Ron Porter" <ronporter@prodigy.net>
>Date:  Sat, 26 Apr 2003 15:44:17 -0500
>
>>Disclaimer: I'm not a Ford cheerleader, but I'm not a Ford-hater,
>>either.....
>>
>>FWIW, I don't believe the '02-'03 model snafu had ANYTHING AT ALL to do
>with
>>sales of the car. If all of those cars were '03s, they would STILL be
>>sitting on the lots.
>>
>>The new T-Bird is a rather specific vehicle for a specific market. And it's
>>not enthusiasts. Plus, since the only difference between an '02 and an '03
>>was the engine HP, I'll bet that difference appealed to maybe .01% of the
>>potential buyers.....or maybe like 3 buyers!
>>
>>The market for this car is not one that gives a damn about the motor. Plus,
>>when you are talking a number of lease buyers, the difference between an
>'02
>>and an '03 does not matter at all.
>>
>>On a personal observation note, I have seen what happened to the new T-Bird
>>at my local dealer. Skalnek Ford in Lake Orion is a small dealer. I almost
>>bought my '99 SHO there, as they "had" to take a '99 SHO to get the
>>allocation of trucks they wanted. I suspect (judging by the lot space) that
>>50% of sales is trucks-SUVs, 30% used cars, and 20% new cars. Anyway, their
>>first new T-Bird was in the showroom with a "Do Not Touch" sign etc.
>>Throughout this past winter, they have had anywhere from 1-3 new T-Birds
>>sitting out in front of the showroom in the cold & snow!! They have two out
>>there as of this morning! 
>>
>>This has told me that T-Bird sales have been in the toilet since the
>initial
>>frenzy died down.
>>
>>Disclaimer(2): if they put the Cobra 390 HP s/c motor in it, I "might"
>>consider one!!
>>
>>Ron Porter
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
>>On Behalf Of Don McKinnon (AST)
>>Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2003 7:55 AM
>>To: SHOtimes (Team.net)
>>Subject: RE: [Shotimes] (OT) The T-bird is gone...
>>
>>
>>Once again it shows Ford at its best...
>>
>>The decline in sales can be traced partly to a momentum-sapping production
>>delay last year. Ford engineers were late in delivering an upgraded V-8
>>engine for the 2003 model Thunderbird and Lincoln LS sedans.
>>
>>Because of the delay, Ford continued to build the 2002 model Thunderbird
>>through November of last year. Normally, the company would begin building
>>2003 versions in August or September.
>>
>>The result was a glut of 2002 models on dealer lots, with many still
>unsold.
>>According to J.D. Power and Associates, it's taking dealers an average of
>>five months to sell the 2002 Thunderbirds, even though the company is
>>discounting the models.
>>
>>"We made a mistake," Lyons said. "If I could do it again, I would have just
>>stopped building the Thunderbird for a month or two. We had people coming
>to
>>dealerships saying why do I want a year-old Thunderbird."
>>
>>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 Mark Kelley
>>Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 9:28 PM
>>To: SHOtimes (Team.net)
>>Subject: [Shotimes] (OT) The T-bird is gone...
>>
>>
>>It didn't last long.
>>
>>http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0304/22/a01-144063.htm
>>
>>Mark
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