The ''new exciting'' Mustang...

You know... that one that was debuted on the Barrett Jackson auction. What a stinker. A measly Shelby GT... but its covertable. 319 hp... and its automatic. Oh, and its painted black with gold stripes. If you ask me... that was a real big let down. Heck... the regular Shelby GT coupe makes 325... ARG! Freakin Ford. Its not like they dont have a convertable... we already have a Shelby GT, what was so new about it? I dont know, I was just highly disapointed. Maybe I was expecting to much?

yep, i heard the rumors of the KR, and the shelby GT vert. both are a waste of PR.

I saw that it sold for $250,000. I can see the sticker at the dealers already:

MSRP: $40,000
ADM: $210,000

PRICE: $250,000

Salesman: "Well, it got that much at Barrett-Jackson. We're just charging what the market will bear."

Customer: "Hmmm...do you think I could get a set of rear floor mats with it?"

Nope, that will be extra.
And you better buy them now because Ford's going out of business.

I was there for the unveiling, it was a letdown for many Mustang people, the crowd did love the fact that Pops was up on stage.

Way forward alright, right out of business at this pace.

I think I know what a old guy getting busted for soliciting sex from a undercover cop feels like...........I got all worked up over nothing........... F*%? Ford!!!!!

Ewwww @ automatic

I've spent quite a bit of time lurking on this forum, and have read the reviews here about the various special edition Mustangs (the Shelby GT500, Shelby GT, GT/CS, etc.), and wanted to share a few thoughts about the SE Mustangs and Ford's current problems.

Setting aside the issue of ADM's for the moment, one of the big questions asked on this forum about each special edition Mustang is: is it worth the money, even at MSRP? Each SE Mustang has its share of supporters and detractors, but almost invariably the discussion comes back to the central selling point of the Mustang: bang for the buck. That is what has made the car so popular over the years. No, it doesn't have IRS, it doesn't handle like a Porsche, and it has its share of squeaks, rattles, and problems, but where else can you get this much car for the money? When the 2005 GT came out, it received almost universal praise for exactly that reason.

With the SE Mustangs, the reviews have more mixed with each successive special edition, but regardless of how you feel about a given car, what is clear is that there is a demand for these cars. The problem is the manner in which Ford is managing their production. By insisting on limited production runs for these cars (ostensibly to keep them "special"), Ford has created an pointless shortage on the market. It's Economics 101: there are more people willing to buy a Shelby GT500 at MSRP than there are cars available. There are two ways to deal with this imbalance between supply and demand. The first is what we've already seen: drive up the price to reduce demand. Ford isn't jacking up the price on the MSRP, so dealers are more than happy to step into the void and grab the quick buck to be made off the few cars they receive. That creates a lot of ill will among potential buyers and, as many here have noted, moves the Mustang further away from the "bang for the buck" philosophy that has made it popular. The second solution is what Ford needs to do: build more of the SE Mustangs. It sounds so simple, yet it solves the problem completely. By producing more cars, you are giving customers the cars they want at the price they want, and in doing so, removing the shortage that leads dealers to mark up the cars with ridiculous ADM's.

The sad thing is that Ford does understand this to an extent. When the 2005 Mustang first came out, Ford was caught off guard by its popularity (especially the GT) and had to increase production to try to meet demand. That initial shortage led to, you guessed it, ADM's by many dealers who wanted to make what they could from the cars they had. Two years later, there isn't that much of a problem with this because Ford has increased the MSRP slightly and adjusted production to meet demand. That's exactly what they need to do with the special editions. Memo to Ford: you can't sell cars you're not making! All the hype at Barrett-Jackson isn't going to get you out your sea of red ink if you're not giving people what they want.

OK, I'm done ranting. Thanks for the soapbox.

Ford is in the business to sell cars to everyone, not just the limited number of gearhead Mustang freaks. Just because there seems to big a big demand for the SE's on a Mustang enthusiest forum, that doesn't mean they would be huge sellers overall. If they made unlimited numbers of these cars, nobody would talk about them.
The good news, anybody can buy a Mustang. The bad news, only the wealthy can buy these limited production SE's. Whoopty Freaking Do. You should be happy that Ford makes affordable Mustangs that anyone can buy. If you want a Vette, you're gonna pay starting at $44k+. If you wanna Mustang V8 you're only gonna pay starting at $25,700. Something most can afford. You want one of the SEs that the dealer has marked up but can't afford it. Too bad for you but, you can still get yourself a Mustang, if you want to.
I look at the glass being half full. Most of you see the glass half empty.

It isn't just the demand for the cars on a Mustang enthusiast site like this one, but a demand for the cars on the market in general. The fact that the SE cars sell well above MSRP indicates that customers want the car at MSRP, but Ford isn't meeting their demand. That's just bad management on their part.

"If they made unlimited numbers of these cars, nobody would talk about them."

We're not talking about unlimited numbers, we're talking about enough to meet consumer demand. When Ford came out with the Mustang back in the 1960's, they weren't worried about their collectibility 40 years down the road; they were worried about meeting the demand at the moment. Ford isn't in the business of selling future collector's items. They're in the business of selling as many cars as they can right now. Collectibility will take care of itself over time, just as it did when the first generation Mustangs were built. If Ford executives don't start getting this through their heads, 40 years from now people will talk about Ford the same way many people talk about Plymouth and Oldsmobile today: "Yeah, they made a few good few cars back in the day. Too bad they're not still around."

"You should be happy that Ford makes affordable Mustangs that anyone can buy."

This statement takes the buyer-seller relationship and turns it on its head. You make it sound as though Ford is doing everyone a favor by producing the Mustang. Ford is able to sell these cars because it's what the customer wants. When you don't give customers what they want, they don't buy your cars. They buy someone else's cars, and your company loses money.

"Most of you see the glass half empty."

For Ford's bottom line right now, the glass is below empty. They need to build as many cars as they are able to sell. The Mustang brand is one of the few bright spots they have right now. The special editions are a great idea, but they don't help the company if they don't build as many as people want at MSRP.

You got it.
Ford has got to change its overall thinking, get dealers in line or it is doomed. Guess what, I have a 1966 Mustang convertible, V8, power top, candyapple red. I also own a 2005 Mustang. Ford dealers may be preventing me from buying a Shelby. But long after Ford kills itself, I will still have my 1966 and it will be rarer than ever.
Guess how much I want over sticker?

I love the Mustangs... performance on the cheap, for the most part. I would pay 60K if I had the extra cash to waste, but I dont. Just like what one guy said earlier, make enough for demand. I dont see what would be so hard to add a little box to check off to get a special mustang, that would only bump the price up a few thousand. That would take care of demand. Its agravating is all. Bummer.

I cant wait to buy me a S197.

Actually at this point there may be enough GT500 to meet demand. The problem right now is the dealers are still trying to wring every last penny they can out of the car.

There are several big name dealers advertising the have 10, 11 and 12 on the floor for immediate delivery, the problem is, they still want $60-65K a copy for them.

You want one for MSRP, wait until the Challenger comes out, then you will be able to get them for close to list.

so do you work for ford? if so i hope your takeing notes on we are seeing the glass as half empty.

carry on brothers:SNSign:

So basically, you guys want the "Special" edition Mustangs, but you don't want to pay the "Special" pricing. I guess you're outta luck. If you can't hang with the big dogs, stay on the porch.

To people with more dollars than sense.

And a two door car with a back seat that will barely hold a couple bags of groceries, let alone a full grown person, is not going to appeal to the masses. Mustangs only appeal to a certain niche, you guys. Why do you think trucks and SUVs are such big sellers? They actually have some room in them.

I posted this in another thread, but it seems more appropriate here:

This is why Ford is stuck between a rock and a hard place. They can't produce a 400+ stock Mustang GT that will have a base price of $25K (Mustang for the masses) AND meet the mileage requirements. The market just won't bear the higher price and/or the gas guzzler tax on a Mustang GT for the masses. So, they try to satisfy a lower number of "enthusiasts" (us) by coming out with special editions that most of us still can't afford (mostly because of the dealer 2nd stickers). We don't want to accept that we just can't have it both ways though. I love that Ford has decided to come out with the KR, but it's just going to be another Ford Marketing SE that a few idiots will pay the outrageous price for.

The 96-99 and 01 Cobras were the last SE's that had a significant increase of power and equipment over the base GT, but with a proportionate price tag. Starting with the 03-04 Cobras and Mach 1's the proportional increase in price of these cars over the GT got a lot higher, but it's just plain stupid on the S197's.

I owned an 01 Cobra, so I've been there before. I had a thought that I might be able to get into an SE again when the S197 came out, but I wasn't prepared for how much more the price would be for an S197 version (and I'm talking about just the Shelby GT here, not the GT500). It's nuts!