Sorry, Quickdraw. I completely disagree.
By introducing an "upscale" luxury sports car, Ford is pursuing a new demographic. If the T-Bird is to succeed, the marketing and customer relationship must differ from that of its typical customers, who might buy a Focus, F150, Taurus, or a Harley-Davidson truck.
In marketing the T-Bird, Ford is dealing with a different breed. The future T-Bird customer relationship must be significantly upgraded, from the time the customer walks into the showroom, to the sale itself, to support after the sale. People with $40 - $45K to drop on a wonderful, but impractical car are sophisticated and have very high expectations. Many are the type of person you'd find in a Lexus dealership - people who just might be willing to try domestic cars again BECAUSE of the T-Bird. They expect the car company to LISTEN and RESPOND to them.
The good news is that Ford is drawing these customers in with a fabulous product in the T-Bird. The bad news is that the dealers don't have a clue how to deal with them. My experience with 4 dealerships in LA was downright horrendous. I could write 5 pages on how much they screwed up with high-pressure tactics, bold-face lies, and unresponsiveness. Three times, I walked away, telling myself it wasn't worth the effort.
In the end, the T-Bird itself won me over. And I got what I wanted through a very painful bargaining process: The exact '03 I wanted at a great price, way under sticker.
Would other similar buyers go through this hell? I doubt it.
If Ford Motor Company doesn't want to make changes in the way it deals with upscale T-Bird customers, then it should greatly lower its expectations for the long-term sales of the Bird.
Meanwhile, I'm hanging back, loving the car itself. In a way, it's a miracle such a great car ever got made. Ford, are you listening? Long live the T-Bird! Give it the home and attention it deserves!
