Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

[Gobird]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

Susan, Spence,
Like this one I had? Mine was a 1967 289 4 barrel carb automatic ordered from the factory. Loved the car. It was one of those you don't forget.

Claude, Yes, just like that. I bought mine as a used car and got it in 1970.

[snowbird]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

WE BUILT THOSE 1998'S WITH THE 97'S AND THEY WERE GONE BEFORE WE WERE TOLD THE PROGRAM WAS CANCELED. AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT WE WOULD BE BUILDING LOTS MORE. THERE WERE CUTOUTS IN THE REAR BUMPER FOR THE EXHAUST IN ADDITION TO MORE HORSEPOWER COMING FOR THE V8. ONE DAY I WAS BUILDING THUNDERBIRDS, THE NEXT DAY I WAS BUILDING ECONOLINES.

Ron: Did those forty get scrapped or did they get out to the public ? That would be a rare Bird to own if there were only forty.
Must admit this is the first time I heard of them. The last Bird of the line "suposedly a '97 laser red , #173196", was given to the CTCI and they have since sold it as far as I know.
Any pictures ?

[pinkilee]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

Susan, Spence,
Like this one I had? Mine was a 1967 289 4 barrel carb automatic ordered from the factory. Loved the car. It was one of those you don't forget.

Mine was more Olive Green, and I'm trying to remember if it had a vinyl top, hmmmm?
It was my first 'automatic'.

[Rondor]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

I wouldn't read Car and Driver in a Dr's office. and don't like Motor trend much better. They are like boating mag. They only praise those who buy adds.

[Katxoxo]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

On page 75 in the January 2011 magazine (it's a 10 Best issue), there is a list of 10 Best design details. Under "Ford Mustang Rear Turn Signals" it says: "Retro can be hellaciously lame-the last Thunderbird, anyone?-but the Mustang doesn't get lost in nostalgia, referencing the good ol' days only when it feels right. These three-light, sequential signals? Oh so right."

Anyone reading that -- that is even only half smart -- will realize that without any substance qualifying their statement, will take that as the author being a bitter person with no substantive value as a writer. If -- in fact -- he was a good writer, he would have explained briefly WHY the Bird was hellaciously lame.

Since he didn't, it is very hard to take that kind of quote seriously. Just like armchair athletes and political pundits who make broad statements that prey on the small minds of society to sway them into their camp, I just snicker at their ignorant ways.




If the retro Birds were so lame, none of us would be here.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

On page 75 in the January 2011 magazine (it's a 10 Best issue), there is a list of 10 Best design details. Under "Ford Mustang Rear Turn Signals" it says: "Retro can be hellaciously lame-the last Thunderbird, anyone?-but the Mustang doesn't get lost in nostalgia, referencing the good ol' days only when it feels right. These three-light, sequential signals? Oh so right."

Who cares?
We've heard it before.

In the end I find it hard to deny.

The difference between "LAME" and raging success is about $10,000 I figure.


Had Ford found a way to get these cars out the door at $30,000 they'd have been anything but.......... LAME. They'd have sold in bigger numbers and looked far better vs the competition in that price range.

Ultimately the car is a great car that only looks lame vs alternatives in the original price range. For $40,000 there wasn't enough luxury or power. But that hardly makes the car lame. Originally an over-priced sales flop..... sure.......but not lame.

I still cringe thinking that some folks actually paid a mark-up in 2002.

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

If the retro Birds were so lame, none of us would be here.

Come to think of it........... "Lame"?

Lame would be reading a magazine and allowing it to decide what car is cool or not rather than picking what you like.

[V8 Cat]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

I still cringe thinking that some folks actually paid a mark-up in 2002.

This is the reason I waited. I had a friend that was a salesman in a small Ford dealership in NC. When the Tbird first came out, I asked him if he could get me one. They had one there, but the owner of the dealership was adamant that he would not take less than $52,000. I checked a couple of other places, and they also wanted a similar ADM (additional dealer mark-up). It really put a damper on my interest until I saw all kind of advertisments in 2005 for the current model in the $34,000 to $35,000 range. In my mind, this dealer greed was one reason the Tbird was sales flop. I re-visited and finally bought one, but I think many other people just lost interest altogether.

[doubutsu]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

Claude, I agree with you, Ford dealers in Las Vegas did the markup and lost sales. They also excluded zero intrest like on their other models. A friend at work got a Z06 Vett discounted $5,000 and zero intrest.

[Gobird]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

Not all dealers did this. I checked 3 different dealers around our area in York, Pa. back at the end of 2000. Two of them wanted a $5000. mark-up but the biggest dealer in York was asking list price and they had an allotment of 15 Birds for 2002, that's where I ordered my 2002 in Dec. of 2000. The other two dealers wanted $5000 down to order the car, the one I ordered from wanted $50.00 down to place the order. So, not all dealers were gouging. I never paid list for a new car but I thought this one was worth it and I don't regret it for one minute.

[Tea Bird]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

I always felt Motor Trend was the superior publication anyway......this just proves it! They lack taste, obviously choosing a multi million cookie cutter car over a limited production beauty.

Park a Mustang and a RetroBird side by side and see which draws more interest.........I rest my case!

I totally agree. We have one of each and my little TBird always draws more attention than the muscle Mustang. But - - - Both are American cars and so over here in the UK both catch peoples eyes!!!

[Borla Babe]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

the owner of the dealership was adamant that he would not take less than $52,000.

That sounds like the $52,000 Inspiration Yellow that I looked at. They had the car roped off and wouldn't let the public closer than 6 feet from the car. They were unable to answer any questions about the car and they had no idea there was a soft top hidden beneath the hard top. They were firm on the price and I remember well the arrogant salesman who looked at me and said "No, we won't take less, we've priced it at $52,000", and then he snickered and said "We will get it too!".
That was my cue to keep walking, and as it turned out, the very next morning I drove my Thunderbird Blue out of another dealership and I didn't pay anything close to the other dealership's price.
I don't pay any attention to these type articles mentioned in this thread, my thoughts are "That's just the writer's opinion, and when I want his opinion I'll ask for it." I always thought they are just a little bit on the jealous side anyway.........

[birdfan]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

I agree with Claude. I waited for them to come out in 2002 and went to see the first one at a local dealership. It was locked so I asked if I could see it. I was told they would only unlock it if I bought it. I laughed thinking he was joking, he wasn't. I walked away. The next time I looked was at the same dealer and the car was a new left over 2005. They were so eager to sell it they even offered to let me take it home over the weekend to try it out. Boy had things changed (and I told them so). I am convinced dealer attitude turned lots of people off. It turned me off and I consider myself a 'Ford' guy.
Glad I waited to get a "new" (5000 mile) one a few years later for less than half the original sticker.

[V8 Cat]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

It was my first 'automatic'.

It was my first automatic also. I was young and had always had manual transmissions. I traded in a 1966 Fairlane 2door HT 289 manual shift for the Cougar. I don't usually trade in one year old cars, but I just loved the Cougar and those tail lights.

[jerrym3]

Re: Car and Driver Slams Our Birds

Two dealers had identical black/saddle 2003's.

One wanted list, the other (further away) agreed to Z plan pricing.

I went back to the closer dealer, told him his competition was giving Z plan pricing, he agreed (to Z plan), so I bought the car.

That dealer has since gone out of business.