"King Of The Road" Returns With 540HP

Oh, no no no... If the Boss or Mach I was retailing at $3500-$4000, the Corvette would have been $4500-$5000. It was always just that much more out of reach, and deservedly so. Always priced in the Cadillac area.

Numbers over the years are purely relative. Fact is, the top end model of a Mustang or Corvette was always just out of reach for me and many of my fellow schlubs. They were then, they are now.

Like I said, nothing has changed.

dwight

On Mon, 2 Apr 2007 22:40:46 -0400, "dwight" puked:

Just move the decimal point one to the right...

-- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

In all my reading of the 'old days' I've never seen the price gouging that goes on at ford today mentioned.

If the GT500 went for sticker, you would have a point, since it doesn't even get close to it.... well I don't think there is one.

I don't think anyone has complained about the sticker price... it's more or less in the ballpark. It's the dealer markup that is the source of complaint.

I understand that. Consider, though: if NO ONE paid the dealer markup, there wouldn't be one.

It's true that there are idiots out there (idiots with money - go figure) who willingly plunk down $20,000 for the PRIVILEGE of buying a car. There are untold thousands of football fans who also (have to) plunk down thousands of dollars for the PRIVILEGE of buying a season ticket. This isn't even analogous to the art world, where bidders try to outdo each other, forcing art prices into the stratosphere, this is PRIVILEGE fees.

As a former Presbyterian, I have nothing against paying retail. But paying MORE than retail? Not me.

But, obviously, there are plenty of those idiots out there happily justifying the dealer markup, enough of them that they ruin it for the rest of us.

What are you going to do?

dwight

Ford could solve the entire price gouging issue with the GT500 in an a few weeks. Put enough of them on the dealer's lots to meet the demand. They have chosen not to do this and instead perpetuate the gouging with even more low volume exclusive variants. If they don't produce the GT500 in sufficient quantity to get pricing to MSRP then I 'm done with them permanently. They promised last summer they would produce enough volume to promote real world pricing close to MSRP but their greed has got the best of them. They wonder why their sales numbers fall month after month? I read where they fell 9% last month on a year to year basis while Toyota's ROSE 7.7%. Screw them. I have no sympathy for Ford. If Darwin Awards were given to auto manufacturers they would win one hands down.

Here's something I can agree with. I was at the NY auto show when they first debut the GT500. I spoke to the Ford rep and he said they were going to make as many as they can sell and also said it would be about $5k more then the

03 Cobra at the time. I feel somewhat betrayed too but I have a funny feeling it isn't Fords fault. I have a hunch this is all Shelby's doing. Much like all the lawsuits recently from Ford for trademarks on name. When Shelby was with Chrysler they did the same thing and sued anyone using their product names, now he came back to Ford and they are doing the same exact thing? More then a coincidence imo.

There were talks about the GT500KR from the very beginning. Ford's plan has been to bring out newer versions every year and with the timing this is a

40th Anniversary so regardless of how the sales were going on the GT500 they were going to make the KR in '08. The 540hp is just talk atm, imo it will more then likely have 600hp.

Oh also the sooner the competition comes, with the abundance of all these aftermarket tuners (ei Saleen, Foose, Roush, etc), a variety of Mustang flavors, and cost of gas going back up, you will see the prices will come down considerably.

I agree that all this is happening because the name "Shelby" is on the car. I wish they would have just came out with a garden variety Cobra then this wouldn't be an issue. I'm sure Ford and the dealers are cleaning up on the GT500 but, IMO, this will cost them loyal customers in the long term. It's just another example of why Toyota is cleaning their clock in sales and market share. I wonder how many people were sitting back and waiting for the price of the GT500s to get near MSRP (as Ford promised them it would) to buy one and now that they can't have decided to market the Mustang completely off their list, even the GT. You can count me in this crowd and I think there are more like me than Ford realizes. It makes me wonder if this is some of the reason Mustang sales numbers are dropping like a rock.

What price is Ford selling it for??? You don't have to pay a mark up, just dont expect to get one if there is a demand which drives up the price. And if you could afford it would you want everyone else to have one too? You are paying a premium to have something rare and set apart from the rest. It's an investment and pretty good one too.

Ford doesnt set a mark up on the price, the consumers do. You have people willing to pay so much more that drives the prices up.

What is "Special" is defined by an individual. From your statement an old '67 Shelby was a manufactured product so it shouldnt be special. The way the system works is if you have the money you get what you want and what you feel is special.

Were did this SUV jealousy come from??? We are talking about a Shelby GT500KR. If you like to draw an anology please explain yourself better about the SUV jealousy so others can relate to what you are talking about. In regards to what someone is willing to pay for a Mustang is only your opinion and based upon what people have been spending I would say contrary there are many people willing to pay more, atm 10k people on the GT500 alone.

There is nothing unfair or dishonest happening here. We are all getting something. It would be unfair if Ford sold a car you were in contract with. It would be dishonest if they changed the price on a car after you agreed to take it. $50k Mustangs are steep but you can still get a less expensive one. Trying to tell Ford you want something for nothing isnt fair on your part. Again the market adjustment brought up the price not Ford. Ford doesnt even see the profit.

Scratches head??? Are you saying a GT500 is no longer exclusive because Ford makes a few different types of Mustang's and has an aftermarket? When you sell roughly 200k Mustangs making some specialty models is exclusive and with an aftermarket you can make something individualized as well.

The new Celica awaits.

:()

"dwight" wrote in news:G6idnbvUQN0-F47bnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

What new Celica?

Nah... you know I have a soft spot for the V-6 Camry. It's a beast! ;)

Because the production and demand probably were a good match or people used to be smarter.

That's a bunch of marketing shit. I don't feel 'better' than other people because I can afford something that costs more or because I am the first on the block with it. I couldn't care less. That's for shallow materialistic people. Investment? It's a friggin _NEW_ car, new cars are not for investment, they are for _DRIVING_. I don't buy into this instant collectable exclusive crapola that ford wants me to buy into. It is just marking crap, nothing more.

If I wanted to spend a bunch of cash to have something no one else had, I would get turbocharged I6 falcon from down-under that had been wrecked or something and put it's drivetrain in my maverick. That would be 'special'. If I wanted to be different than anyone else with a normal production vehicle, I would spend my money on something that wasn't sold in the USA. Maybe get a 70s aussie falcon. (and I have toyed with that idea, but the availablity of cars already in the US for sale and other things just didn't align)

Ford can solve that problem by living up to their promise.

In 1977 a '67 shelby mustang was another used gas guzzler of a car and not worth much at all. Back in the 1990s there was this guy working at the 7-11 who had a BOSS 302 that he had bought back in the late 70s. I don't have my self worth wrapped up in what I drive or what I own... I get far more enjoyment finding something in scrap pile and making something out of it than what most people get from buying some new toy.

Read an SUV thread sometime.

You were apparently telling those of us complaining that we are complaining because we cannot afford it. It's the same thing that SUV owners say about people who don't like SUVs.

The whole idea that a mass produced _NEW_ product has to be bought by competitive bidding is simply insane to me. It's done by stupid people and ford -promised- they weren't doing this, this time. Their rep at the chicago autoshow was more than clear they weren't going to do this again. They were going to produce to demand. Ford has not lived up to what they said.

I heard the guy on the stand with the GT500 at the chicago auto show say X and I am watching ford do Y.

You've bought into the bullshit. That's what's sad.

You don't see the marketing for what it is. It's just another product, another new car. It has features and drawbacks like any other. There is nothing about a mass produced production car that is exclusive. It's just the top mustang model. That's it. Want something with real exclusivity? get out your wrench and your paint gun and start building it.

As I've mentioned before I really don't think it's as much of Ford's fault as you think. I bet Shelby is dictating they only produce "x" amount of cars with his name on it. IMO Ford should just reduce him to a tuner car but unfortunately with their history and consumer demand it wont happen. Ford should pick up Roush as he doesnt seem to be as greedy. I never see Jack Roush charge for a signature were as Shelby charges you for everything!

I have to disagree. Ford is at fault. Especially if they are letting Shelby determine production numbers. Remember all the hype Ford generated last spring and summer about MSRP? I do and I expect them to deliver what they promised. Ford and the dealers are just as greedy as Shelby, IMHO.

I would think shelby would just charge ford per car.

I'm fairly sure this is the case. If anything Shelby might want more cars sold because it means more money in his pocket.