Ford's Thunderbird Gets Axed

Forbes ^ | April 22, 2003 | Jerry Flint

[Timesink]

Backseat Driver

Ford's Thunderbird Gets Axed

Jerry Flint, 04.22.03, 7:00 AM ET



The news is out and official. Ford will kill the Thunderbird.

I've been down this road before. The original little T-bird, a two-seater, came out in 1954. It wasn't really a sports car, but it was great-looking. Sales were never much--15,000 to 18,000 a year. So the moneymen made it into a four-seater in 1958. Sales went up, all right. Ford built 87,000 in 1960, but the car never looked so good again. Eventually the Thunderbird evolved into a mediocre, bloated car that was put out its misery during the reign of Ford (nyse: F - news - people ) President Jacques Nasser.

A few years back, and with great hoopla, a new, sleek Thunderbird was unveiled on the auto show circuit. The car returned to its roots as a smaller, stylish, two-passenger convertible. The production vehicle came out late in 2001, and it turned heads wherever it went. But Ford expected sales of about 25,000 a year, and the car never met this goal.

For starters, the new Thunderbird came out a full year late. So much time had passed from the unveiling of the show car to the release of production models that the buying public had lost some its enthusiasm.

Quality was also a problem. The plastic top (for winter) scratched the body. And Ford dealers got an early reputation for ripping off customers by overcharging for the car. Although the car's exterior was beautiful, the interior was a bit of a letdown, especially for a car with a $40,000 price tag. And the T-Bird could have used a bit more pep.

Selling a $40,000 car through the Ford channel may have also hurt the Thunderbird, which was far more expensive than its high-volume predecessor. Ford dealers have been successful selling $35,000 to $45,000 trucks but have little experience selling automobiles in the near-luxury price range. If there was a marketing effort by Ford Motor, I wasn't aware of it. Naturally, sales didn't meet expectations.

Ford figured it could sell 25,000 Thunderbirds a year at $40,000 apiece, but last year it moved only 19,000 cars. In first-quarter 2003 only 4,000 were sold. The automotive press went on a deathwatch.

Automotive News, the industry's fine trade publication, just reported that Steve Lyons, head of the Ford Division, said the Thunderbird run would end after four or five years, in 2005 or 2006.

"While it may go away for a short period of time, it may reappear from time to time," Lyons told Automotive News. "When you really stand back and think about the volumes we're trying to sell that vehicle in, it is meant to be a collector's item. And it doesn't have to have a production run every year."

Collectors' item? No, you don't sell 19,000 collector's item cars in a year.

I don't doubt for a moment that someone will suggest adding two backseats to the Bird to improve sales. Heck, someone will probably suggest making it a four-door. That happened once before, too.

Instead of fixing the Bird, making it right, selling it as it should be sold, Ford will kill it.

That's just part of the story at Ford product development. General Motors (nyse: GM - news - people ) has a low-volume car, too. It's called the Corvette. From time to time people have tried to kill the 'Vette. But people at GM seemed to understand that to kill the 'Vette would kill the company's spirit.

Ford is killing the Taurus, too. It will let the present model run until the rent-a-car companies don't want it. The replacement will be a smaller sedan, built off a Japanese Mazda platform, to be called the "Futura."

I think that some high-powered egos are at work here. The present management at Ford didn't create the Thunderbird. And the present management didn't create the Taurus. Rather than fix the problems, they'll start fresh with cars for which today's managers can take credit. That is, if these cars succeed.

These new managers also think that the names of Ford vehicles should start with the letter F. That's why the Windstar minivan is being renamed Freestar. And a new crossover wagon will be called the Freestyle. This strategy is silly and means nothing to anyone who doesn't work on executive row at Ford headquarters.

I remember when they killed the first two-passenger Bird. I thought that the car was beautiful. A Ford executive back then said, "Beauty is a good 10-day sales report." The original Thunderbird reminded people that Ford could build a beautiful car. Ditto for the short-lived new Thunderbird.

The news about its demise is ugly indeed.

[Shooter 2.5]

This new TBird looks like the toy cars sold at Chevron. I think that's why it didn't sell. You can sell a car on "cute" or "sexy". You can't combine "cute" with a large price tag. "Cute" only works if it's economical or low priced.

I can't believe they're getting rid of the Taurus. I have a 1989 with 371,000 miles on it. It's a wagon and I put a lot of miles on it going to Rifle Matches.

[tomkat]

neither ...

yea, so it's a rainy PA day, and i'm dreamin' ...     

[Mr. Bird]

$40K was WAAAAY to much for that car! If they had made them for $25K, they would have sold.

As long as they're paying UAW wages, that ain't gonna happen. Isn't it amazing that Honda/VW/Toyota can turn out quality product at affordable prices, but the Big 3 serve up crap year after year? Take a look at the entry-level autos for the major manufacturers. The American efforts are absolute garbage in comparison to their foreign counterparts. That's where you build your customer loyalty.

The new college grad that buys a Honda Civic that lasts forever isn't going to upgrade to a T-Bird; they'll look for something in the Honda product line. By the same token, the poor kid who gets conned into buying a Ford Focus is going to be waiting for the day he can get out of it, and out of Ford altogether.

[farmfriend]

My friend has a '55.

[NFOShekky]

Snazzy looking car but a perfect example of how overpriced cars are in general! I love cars but wouldn't even consider spending $40,000+ for a car, at least not for one that is less than 40 years old!!!!

[tomkat]

see #42   

[blau993]

I shared your experience. I bought a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe in 1985 (or thereabouts). Great power and acceleration when it worked, but just a series of annoying technical problems that the dealer never seemed able to fix. That was my first and last Ford product.

[TexanToTheCore]

Feminized automobiles are a real problem. I want my A-H 3000 back!

[toddst]

First On Race Day. That one died with the first small block Chevy!

Interesting you should bring up the comparison. Back in the late 50's when drag racing was not yet professional-dominated we ran a '57 T-bird and a '57 Chevy in "C" gas. Doing one's own engines, costs were maybe $1,000 per car per season.

The problem quickly became trying to keep the T-bird Y-block V8 engine together. We couldn't run competitive without having to "overbuild" the Ford (forged chrankshaft, special rods, etc.) We finally gave up due to frustration and expense.

The Chevy, however, was very durable. The 283 cu. in. engine could be run with factory parts, other than camshaft, lifters, springs, etc. They Chevy would also easily run away from the T-bird, which had a 312 cu. in. engine but couldn't wind up as fast or as far.

Ford has not managed to keep up with GM engineering for as long as I've been driving. At this point I doubt Ford will survive in the long run, unless they get their engineering and quality-control acts together.

[Tribune7]

Ford better get its act together or they will be in big trouble again

I understand they are in trouble now.

[tomkat]

that is one gorgeous automobile !

[Contra]

I like the look of the new Thunderbird, but it's way overpriced and should have back seats. Chevrolet had a nice looking prototype out this year that looks similar to the Thunderbird, but whether it will ever be built is anybody's guess. Ford plans on taking the Mustang retro for the 2005 model year (a throwback to the 60's) the prototype is a two seater but the final design will probably be a four seater. Two seat convertibles do not sell that well.

[1Old Pro]

I feel sorry for anyone who bought this car. $40,000 could have been spent on so many other, better cars.

[laker_dad]

My first car was a '67 Rust-tang

[bigfootbob]

I liked the look of the new T-Bird until I heard the "perky Katie Couric" owned one.

[mhking]

BTW didn't they already make a futura. It was a boxy monstrosity.

I'm guessing you're talking about the Ford Fairmont Futura from the late 70's & early 80's. (I drove my Mom's '79 Futura when I was in high school)

Ford used the name "Futura" on several cars since the early 60's - dating back to the 62 Ford Falcon Futura. From what I understand, the name is still used on a car that Ford Australia sells down under today.

[1Old Pro]

I here in Britain they've been calling them Fag-u-are.

Competiton for Subarus I guess.

[1Old Pro]

Yep, BMW is where it's at.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

I live a couple of blocks from William Clay Ford. He drives a Thunderbird. I was facing him at a stop sign in the neighborhood, and noticed that his right front headlight and parking light were out!

[AnAmericanMother]

We have been happy with our Fords - although neither the Explorer nor the Expedition is going to set the pond on fire, they've been extremely reliable - Explorer is pushing 100k miles now, with nothing other than extremely regular maintenance and one brake job. We had a '69 Torino that we bought second hand from the Sheriff of Mecklenburg County VA - it was a plainclothes car - for 1700 bucks. It ran like a top, the air filter said 302 but we KNOW that was a lie. ( :-D ) We put almost 200k miles on that thing, then sold it to a kid at my husband's job who took it to the drag strip down at Conyers GA. He was doing great until he dropped the C-4 on the pavement (that tranny was always the weakest link . . . )

But the real champ is our old '62 Studebaker Lark convertible (200k miles plus) with the 289 Jet (police pursuit) engine - had a Holley 4 barrel until my dad dropped a Maserati injection system into it (and it was, unbelievably, a drop in job). I take the car out and crank it up just to hear that motor purr.