Why Are There So Many New T-Bird Available?

[Lender1]

Our cars draw so much attention, really are not that expensive and a pleasure to drive. This being the case, why are there so many new ones available? Within ten miles of my house I can find at least twelve.

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[02birdman]

lender1, Most dealers are still asking for more than MSRP and it turns a lot of people off.

 

[southwest la t-bird]

yes,i agree that some dealers act like they are the only dealer in the world that has a t-bird. i bought mine april 25 at msrp. i talked to about ten other dealers that either had or had some coming in. no one really wanted to talk to me about a bird at msrp. was in a ford dealership south of shreveport last weekend that had 4 birds for sale, looked at the vin of one and it was in the 11000 range. this means they have had this car for a while. i asked the salesman when did they get this car and he said it had been there for quite a while. they were asking $4000 over msrp but if i was really interested he would see if i could get it at $2000 over. mabye last october, but not now that production is in full swing. if you want one, there are dealers that are ready to sell them

 

[Blue Heaven]

I agree with southwest la t-bird. I found my bird on a dealer's lot out on Long Island, NY last month. They are one of the largest dealers in the northeast and had seven others in stock at the time (all colors except yellow). They were selling them at MSRP, while dealers in my area (CT) who had fewer, if any, were asking $3000 to $7500 over.

 

[Writer]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "so many" ... here in the metro New York area it's possible to find a dozen or so within a thirty mile radius, which in one sense is not a lot, but compared to the size of the production run, the appeal, and the built-up market demand, is quite a few.

I think it's simple miscalculation on the part of the dealers - clearly they've been stockpiling since early spring hoping for summer demand to re-inflate the early mark-ups ... but it isn't happening, and they're slow to realize that fact. Maybe general economic gloom is making customers a little more cautious. When I was seriously looking, I found only one dealer - in a ritzy CT town - who stuck to his guns over a $2k premium. (And that was for a car the owner's wife had put 90 miles on during a fun weekend!) But equally I found one - in an equally upscale NY town - who was prepared to sell at $850 under MSRP. But that was a badly-presented car - new, but on an outside lot, already very grubby.

So my guess is prices will stabilize soon at MSRP or a few token $$ under, and there will be plenty more cars on the road before Labor Day.

 

[glh7767]

i think it goes farther than that.
1. the car has been out for several months. most of the enthusiasts who wanted one got one.
2. it is a niche market car. a 40000 2 seater with little trunk space has limited market appeal.
3. 2003 production year is fast approaching.

with these factors, and the dealers original padded sales price, a mini surplus of birds is now available. i can get any color within a 15 minute ride of my home, and as many as 6 dealers have them, several with multiple cars. the law of supply and demand has brought the pricing back to msrp and soon will be below msrp. i'm picking up my black bird tomorrow, and i was originally given the song and dance about +4000. i told my salesman, whom i've dealt with for many years, tell your sales manager if he wants to sell at msrp it's sold, otherwise adios amigos. they sold it to me within an hour. and if they're sitting on inventory, upon which they have to pay hefty insurance premiums, come september and october the prices will drop, and you will see many more on the road. witness the vw beetle and the p.t. cruiser.

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Gary L Henkel

 

[tbird]

Originally posted by glh7767:
and if they're sitting on inventory, upon which they have to pay hefty insurance premiums,

Yeah, it is actually floorplan, but they only have so many days to sell the car and then they start getting charged a floorplan finance fee from Ford Credit.

 

[FUN X 3]

glh7767- I couldn't agree more. After two months of research, I started shopping and talking to dealers for my bird in mid-July and found many wanting my business. I got the +$5,000 song-and-dance on a Saturday afternoon, but held my ground at MSRP and got the call from the sales manager on Monday morning to come make the deal. Made the deal on Wednesday with no fuss and drove away within two hours. Probably could have whittled it down further, but didn't feel up to the hassle. Anyone paying more than MSRP now isn't doing their homework. Northern Virginia location, blue premium/full accent interior/blue top #16336

 

[metinsure]

I saw an ad today for a Red Premium with no hardtop at AllAmerican Ford, Hackensack, NJ, for $1500 under list, and they also say in the ad, they jave 7 others with similar savings

 

[leisha]

The local dealer had me on a 2003 waiting list as his total allotment of 2002's was taken. He then gave me a song and dance how he 'arranged to get me a 2002'.
I have had it a month and now see another sitting on his lot not sold. I have heard he has two more unsold 2002's available.

My salesman told me that the deals fell through, do to the long wait.

I guess that they are now getting stuck with them this late in the year and people paying these prices want the latest not yesterdays.

I am sure ' bargain hunters' will drive prices even lower. How many $40000 cars of this type are sold anyway. Did Ford try to make up the hype and hope they could justify building 25000 yearly?

 

[HKS]

I am convinced that all car salesmen are professional liars. You have to dig for the truth yourself.

One of them told me you can get a 2002 Tbird with hardtop only. This got me to the showroom. He was wrong of course.

Another salesman told me he would sell the car at sticker. When I got there (30miles away) his boss wanted $2500 over sticker. We negotiated down to $500 over. The dealer still has the car in his inventory. I am waiting for mine at sticker price that I ordered in March. That is another long story.

HKS

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[glh7767]

truthfully, i have a good relationship with mine, but he's been in the business for 22 years, so he's not as gung ho as the young turks. additionally, he knows i'm good for a new vehicle, generally loaded, every 2 years, so i get good service. basically, the birds like everything else are subject to the laws of supply and demand. early on, low supply, big demand, price went up. demand has leveled off, supply has increased, prices are coming down. capitalism at its finest. in any event, i love the bird, and my daughter thinks its cool as she's the only 16 year old she knows driving one around.

 

[tbird]

Check out this dealer... says they have 3 in stock and 10 more scheduled for August. http://www.clarkeauto.com/Sales5.0/Ford.tbirdA.htm

10-13 two seater convertable sporty cars is way too much to have in stock!

 

[glh7767]

when we brought our black home, we thought we had the only show in town. backed out of the drive last night to take it to the movies, guy 4 doors down has a blue!! stopped to talk to him while jogging yesterday, he tells me the guy on the next block has a red! drove by, sure enough, there it is in the drive. i'm thinking of trading it in on something more exclusive!

 

[roryf2]

I was planning to wait for a 2003. My dealer called and handed me & my wife the keys to a beautiful blue/blue for a test drive. What a grin I had on my face having the opportunity to actually drive the car. The dealer here in S. Florida is terrific, and even at the height of the hype, their markup was modest. They have 12 cars available - mostly premiums with hardtops. Blacks are $1500 under MSRP, the rest $1,000 under. If anyone might be paying MSRP or over, I'd be glad to pass on the info. I know the 2003 will have more power, but the Thunderbird Blue won my heart. I'm picking up mine this weekend. I'm selling my classic BMW 635CSI to buy the Tbird. Sure, there are faster and better handling cars, but the Tbird has character & personality, a rare commodity these days. Now I know what everyone has been so enthused about, Rory



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[clebus]

There are several dealers in Southern California that will sell 2002 premium Thunderbirds at $1000 to $2000 discount depending on the color you want. Let me know if you need help locating one. You can email me at clebus@*************.

 

[Steve Legel]

I've worked with Chris and you can count on a great deal and great follow through service.
Steve

 

[clebus]

Thanks again Steve!!!

Chris

 

[jbrock1958]

Originally posted by Blue Heaven:
I agree with southwest la t-bird. I found my bird on a dealer's lot out on Long Island, NY last month. They are one of the largest dealers in the northeast and had seven others in stock at the time (all colors except yellow). They were selling them at MSRP, while dealers in my area (CT) who had fewer, if any, were asking $3000 to $7500 over.

Could you please send me the name and town of that dealer in Long Island? Thanks.

 

[George]

There's a Red premium at Granite Ford in Rochester, NH---salesman Joe Gerbino, for sticker, if anyone's interested