Thunderbird's flight is over.....

[devilmaster]

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101965


Ford clips Thunderbird's wings, again; production to end in July
DALE JEWETT | Automotive News
Posted Date: 3/11/05

Ford Motor Co. will end production of the Thunderbird in July, and put the nameplate back on hiatus after a five-year run.

Since the Thunderbird was relaunched in 2001, Ford sold 54,360 units through the end of 2004. Sales peaked in 2002 at 19,085. Through February of this year, Ford has sold 1,516 of the roadsters.

The Thunderbird was originally launched in October 1954 as a 1955 model. The nameplate was used continuously on a series of coupes and sedans through the 1997 model year.

The Thunderbird name came back in 1999 on a two-seat concept car with styling inspired by the 1954 model. Public reaction helped convince Ford to put the car in production, using a modified version of the platform from the Lincoln LS sedan.

Ford's assembly plant in Wixom, Mich., built the reborn Thunderbird. It will continue to build the Lincoln LS and Town Car, and do final assembly work on the Ford GT.

I wonder if the new T-bird could be considered a major flop. When they came back out in 2001, I felt that they were way overpriced. But perhaps Ford learned some lessons in retro sales that they took to the new Mustang line.

[fourrunner]

They should have announced it originally as a "Special Edition" Limited Run Vehicle

It's not an everyday car ... I know 2 people who own them and they use them on weekends only and that's when the weathers nice

There are only so many people thathave the extra cash to have a "Vanity Car" just sitting around ..

Then when the hipness of owning one wears off, and people stop looking at you driving one ....

They should hold there value though, now that they're not making them anymore ... not sure whether they'll increase in value real soon though!

[Winston Wolfe]

4R - you are pretty much right on the typical buyer for the car.

There are alot of them in the rental fleets here on the left coast in SoCal. College friend of mine comes out here for business, rents one, so he can drive around LA with the top down, and cruise PCH. After spending a day with him at the weekend, driving to gladstone's in Malibu, down to the pier in HB, I had plenty of seat time and passenger time to learn that the T-bird is pretty much worthless. No power, no handling, soft ride, and little to no curb appeal....
Plus when the thing first came out, Ford Dealers in SoCal were charging up to a $10,00) 'premium" for the car... and there were waiting lists to do so....
But like with many "specialty" or "halo" cars, they only have a short run of popularity. Heck, they even had a Neiman-Marcus edition that people paid ALL the money for, back in the day.
As for resale, pretty typical of most domestic products, which means TERRIBLE...
Quick trip to Kelly Blue Book shows that a 2004 Pacific Coast Edition MSRP is $43,995, with invoice of $40,301.... there are a couple of "spiffs" on it right now as well, but the resale is what kills you...
Private party value for a regular '04 is $28,550.... that's right, $12k less than SRP in just one model year. That's 30%.... There are many listed in PP sales ranging from $25,700 to $27,998.... needless to say, the value of these things has plummeted, and there is very little "collectibility" in them right now.

I do agree with you 4R, that FMC has done ALOT better job with the Mustang and the GT is still holding SRP and then some out here in SoCal...

[oddlycalm]

the T-bird is pretty much worthless. No power, no handling, soft ride, and little to no curb appeal....
- snip -
that's right, $12k less than SRP in just one model year. That's 30%.... There are many listed in PP sales ranging from $25,700 to $27,998.... needless to say, the value of these things has plummeted, and there is very little "collectibility" in them right now.

I do agree with you 4R, that FMC has done ALOT better job with the Mustang and the GT is still holding SRP and then some out here in SoCal... You nailed it. No compelling reason to buy one and as target markets go, middle aged profilers is about as small as you can find. :gomer: You'd think that after 30yrs of losing marketshare the people that manage these companies might have figured out that serving up a plate of snore with a side of decade old technology for the price of a really good car probably won't be next years biggest hit.

You're right again as far as resale goes, all one has to do is compare to convertibles that cost the same money, say the 3 series, to see the problem. We saw 57% of the new price of our 328 convertible come back to us after 5yrs and the T bird will lose more than than in 2yrs.

I agree that the Mustang is a much better effort in every way, however it is 2005 and it's still got a solid rear axle. Is there some kind of rule that prohibits a US company from making a totally modern car?

oc

[FCYTravis]

I'm surprised they didn't come out with a FINAL LIMITED SUPER SPECIAL EDITION LAST OF THE NEW THUNDERBIRD run of 1,000 cars, maybe with hot pink wheels, silver pinstripes and whitewall tires :laugh:

[indyfan31]

I agree that the Mustang is a much better effort in every way, however it is 2005 and it's still got a solid rear axle. Is there some kind of rule that prohibits a US company from making a totally modern car? oc
Yes, kind of. The Mustang, from it's inception, has been a "sporty" car that a lot of people can afford. High-tech suspensions and drivetrains are expensive.

[nrc]

I agree that the Mustang is a much better effort in every way, however it is 2005 and it's still got a solid rear axle. Is there some kind of rule that prohibits a US company from making a totally modern car?

oc

Solid rear axel is a cost effective solution for the secretary's version and the high volume GT. You can bet that the SVT version will (again) have an IRS.

[oddlycalm]

Yes, kind of. The Mustang, from it's inception, has been a "sporty" car that a lot of people can afford. High-tech suspensions and drivetrains are expensive. Expensive like on the Jetta, Honda Civic and just about every other car made anywhere else but in the US during the last 10yrs, including by GM and Ford? ;)

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the discussion.

oc

[indyfan31]

If you want to complain about the price of US cars talk to the AFLCIO.

[FCYTravis]

And labor costs are even higher in Japan and Germany. Yet they keep making cars that blow ours out of the water. Next?

[Sean O'Gorman]

The American manufacturers don't have to innovate becuase of all the xenophobic, mostly Union, patrons that they have who will buy any ol' crap they sell. How else can you explain GM selling the same compact car since the early 80s?

I'm not saying all American cars are junk because they have some great cars too, but there isn't the pressure to produce quality equipment put on them that is put on the Japanese manufacturers in this country.

[nrc]

Expensive like on the Jetta, Honda Civic and just about every other car made anywhere else but in the US during the last 10yrs, including by GM and Ford? ;)

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the discussion.

oc

Of course there is a slight difference between an IRS that doesn't have to do much but hold the ass of the car off the ground and one that has to put 300hp on the ground.

Can you get me a list of 200hp rear drive cars with IRS that I can get for under $20k? How about 300hp rear drive cars with IRS that I can get for under $26k?

If you're ready to pay 28k and you want a sophisticated IRS suspension step over to the Mazda showroom.

[manic mechanic]

Of course there is a slight difference between an IRS that doesn't have to do much but hold the ass of the car off the ground and one that has to put 300hp on the ground.

Can you get me a list of 200hp rear drive cars with IRS that I can get for under $20k? How about 300hp rear drive cars with IRS that I can get for under $26k?

If you're ready to pay 28k and you want a sophisticated IRS suspension step over to the Mazda showroom.

Heck nrc..If I'm gonna drop 28k I might as well drop $35k and get a rear drive car with ~300hp and IRS that LOOKS LIKE SEX!

Give me a G-35 coupe (sans nav system, please) and then ask a Ford mechanic why he wouldn't spend more on an american "pseudo" personal car. I'll give you the same answer as I give the corporate folks that I talk to. :D

manic

[nrc]

Heck nrc..If I'm gonna drop 28k I might as well drop $35k and get a rear drive car with ~300hp and IRS that LOOKS LIKE SEX!

Give me a G-35 coupe (sans nav system, please) and then ask a Ford mechanic why he wouldn't spend more on an american "pseudo" personal car. I'll give you the same answer as I give the corporate folks that I talk to. :D

manic

Wait. I did get the car that looks like sex. :p

Seriously, I love light and nimble cars. The G35 is a tank compared to the RX8.

As for the T-bird. I'm not surprised that it failed. Ford figured that there were a bunch of empty nest 50 somethings ready to jump out of their Excursions into an old fashioned personal luxury car. What they came up with was uninspired in pretty much every respect.