2003 model

[chasmar]

ordered white many calls to dearborn main office. finally got some answers my car will be built in january. I was also told the cars after the 1st may be tagged 2003 models I sure hope so.

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[Birdman93]

Seems that tagging Thunderbirds built after January 1st as 2003 models might be a incorrect statement on someone's part, since Ford plans on 25,000 for each model year. If they did as your contact told you, they would only have built around 8-10 thousand units by that date.

Plus, there are some improvements that have been planned for the 03 model year, including more power from the engine-and two colors will be deleted from the 03 lineup-Thunderbird Blue and Inspiration Yellow.

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[RACERROGER]

I was talking to my dealer last night. He was saying that he doesn't expect anymore "02 Birds in for this model year. He was originally allocated 14 and has ended up with 3. 2 Blues and 1 Red. I figured he was talking about 2001 but after seeing this post maybe he is right.

 

[jodrod]

Well, if this is true, all the better for us '02 owners, it will make the car even a rarer beast.

 

[Birdman93]

All I know from my contacts with Ford, including The Man himself and several other upper management people, is that the 02s will continue to be built until June-then the switch will take place. Ford will NOT be tagging the rest of the 2002 model year as 2003-new CAFE requirements, along with some new government safety regulations that are expected to be in place for the 2003 model year, would require Ford to halt production completely on the 02s, and make the necessary changes to the lines to include the equipment that would be required for the 2003s. Ford has promised 25000 2002 Thunderbirds, and that is what will be made. That is the word from on high at the WHQ.

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[thenewtbird2]

There seems to be a rumor going around amongst sellers that the production for the 02 has ended but apparently what is REALLY meant is that all 25000 cars for 2002 are spoken for.

It's sad but some dealers really get confused fast and start rumors. Rest assured that if your dealer was allocated 14 for 2002 and has placed the orders for those, they will get built as 2002s and he will get the rest of those but in the year 2002 as he's already received his orders meant to arrive in 2001. The model year does NOT end in Dec. 2001.

think I had better emphasize that last sentence.

 

[DavidA]

Model Year ends Dec.2001? I think you meant ends August 2002 didn't you. Historiclly, car manufacturers typically end model year production sometime in late May/Early June and tool up for the next model year during that following month. Production usually starts in July/August for delivery in Aug/Sept.

 

[jodrod]

DavidA,

If you are replying to Dot's post, she says does NOT end in Dec. 2001.

 

[thenewtbird2]

Editorial - Now for a little retrospect on the whole issue of ordering that has gone on this past year.

Many times on this board and on the email lists I'm on & private email to me, the buyers have been told by the salesmen that they don't know when a person's car will come in. The salesmen have given no indication as to how Ford has been allocating these cars to dealerships AND shipping them out. Many salesmen have learned or heard about it first thru this board.

I would assume that some dealerships may have not paid attention to how their allotments were going to be shipped to them. Some may have assumed that if they got their orders in early, their orders would be shipped early which is NOT how that is happening.

When I look back to when I first heard about the shipments being sent out evenly throughout the model year to each dealer, my source narrows down to one person who happens to be a retired Ford employee who still does contract work for Ford. There are a couple of others on this board & the email lists I'm on, who also heard from reliable sources about the allocation method but most buyers have not heard it from their dealerships. BTW - we were hearing this as far back as February 2001.

Now, I can imagine that RacerRoger's dealer did not know how frequently these cars would be shipped and assumed that since he had only received 3 of his 14 by Dec and was told he would receive no more for this year, he may have construed that as "no more for this model year" - there is a difference in meaning there. That dealer should still be getting printouts from Ford with his t-bird orders still on those sheets & hopefully some new VIN#s for his customers.

Of course there is a slim possiblity that he's in trouble with Ford and Ford pulled the rest of his allocation - we've heard those rumors before. Lets just hope that's not the case and he misinterpreted what he heard.

 

[RACERROGER]

I know for a fact that the dealer has not auctioned any of his allotment and being a Ford dealer for over 40 years, he is in good standing with Ford. As this was not the owner I was talking to, I do take what he was saying with a grain of salt. I did not mean to mislead anyone by my earlier post. There is another dealer that I use to deal with who promised MSRP when they got one in. Surprise! Sold it to one of their employees who now is selling it at 10,000 over.

My dealer also said that those that buy from a broker will not get any recall notices. E-Bay buyers beware.