Why won't buying a GT now move you up?
1) Because it will be obvious you've bought it in an attempt to get a new one. 2) Because GT ownership is just one criteria, not the be-all and end-all.
Do you think Ford cares that your intentions were to buy a GT just to up your chances of getting a new one and would they even think that was a bad thing? Shows commitment to some degree, right? Besides GT ownership what are the other criteria going to be? Could somebody who doesn't currently own a single Ford get selected? A few months back a higher up at Ford stated that they did not want these cars going to "collectors" that would not drive them and show them around. They also stated at the time that owning a Ford would not even be a criteria (so much for that). Celebrity also was not going to matter. One has to wonder now what exactly Ford is looking for and what will their criteria be? Also selecting GT owners over other prospective buyers is a dangerous game of "loyalty" as 4000 plus owners exist now. If you pick 1000 of them and another 1000 to 3000 wanted a car as well and applied they are going to be pissed off owners that some other GT owner got the lottery ticket. It's a dangerous game of alienation. For Ford this is a great problem to have. They blew the automotive world away at the show and the media has been buzzing ever since. Every spy shot of the street or track car hits the forums and blogs and people seem to go wild for it. They can pat themselves on the back for this. I just hope I get a shot from Ford at owning a piece of history because I'm not going to be the guy paying $1M to $2M in the aftermarket to the flippers for this car.
Yes on the first part. Re: second part - maybe, maybe not. Ford is very concerned the car doesn't go to flippers. A guy that bought his 06 GT new and still owns is less likely to flip. If you bought a Heritage at $172k and didn't sell it when you could get $400k, you're pretty committed. Can't say. Yes. They are looking for passionate brand enthusiasts that will use the car, get it in front of the public, not mothball it in a collection, flip it, etc. It's a car; if it's not used or seen, it might as well not get built. There are nowhere near 4,000 GT owners. There were 4,038 cars built, and let's be charitable and say enough of those have been obliterated that there are 3,750 left. There is a high quantity of multi-GT owners. Prior to the event we just held, I compiled a quick list of attendees with more than one. Out of that fairly small group, 20 owners had multiples for a group total of 51 GTs. It is very common that I meet GT owners that have 2-4 cars, so that further whittles the pool. Out of that pool, how many are in the market for a $400k car? Certainly not all. I understand the frustration for people that have less of a shot, but imagine if they dropped them off at dealers and said "have at it!" It would be pure chaos. Dealers were already telling people $150k over on hope and a prayer. Would have been a nightmare.
No way around it....some GT owners are going to be pissed for not getting a car....and this guarantees that owners will flip at least some cars. What will be the reason to stop them? I think Ford knows that in the long run that this will jack up second hand prices.....just like Ferrari.
Mr. Mayor, you seem to have a serious reading comprehension issue. DBK could not have been more clear. The dealers have zero say in the allocation process.
Dealers can also apply for a car. They are told to refrain from reselling.... Again, with no GT on the Horizon after the 2016, what is the incentive not to sell? This is a free market economy. Ford knows that even with loyal customers getting cars at MSRP, this will have a side effect of jacking up secondary market cars into the stratosphere. Supply and demand. There is a reason loyal customers who bought LaFerraris are already flipping them for millions over MSRP, Ferrari be damned. Ford learned an important lesson with the luanch of the second gen GT, and they are eager to implement that here. So as erroneous as the Mayors post is in some parts, he does have a point. People hate Ferrari for doing the essentially same thing: Giving MSRP to loyal customers.
Does anyone here know any of the higher up executives at Ford who might be able to "sway" an application my way? PM me if so. Will pay finders fee if you can help me make the cut when the time comes. Thank you.
I hear apps are taken by FoMoCo at dealers but it is evaluated at Ford not at the dealer. Wonder if I get extra points cus my company wired the old Ford River Rouge plant way back
Bought my GT in April of 2007, to hopefully hanging on to it since then will help. I think it is huge that Ford is taking this out of the dealer's hands, and avoiding them buying one themselves and keeping it out of sight. If given the chance to own a special piece of Ford history, I won't question their plan, and will beg borrow and steal enough to get it done. Thanks for giving GT owners some hope Ford ! Well done. Now, what color ? Kind of partial to Blue. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Years ago, Dodge did a similar thing for the 1996 Viper GTS and again for the 2003 SRT/10. If you had bought a new Viper in the past, you got a guaranteed spot for the newest Viper. Got my 1996 and 2003 cars at invoice, although I did have to go to a small town dealer as the Dallas dealers just did not seem to understand that the process had no effect on their allocation - it was just one more unit for them filling out the paperwork in order to make their holdback. Short supply makes this program different, but if I were Ford, my priority would be to those who bought new and still own their GT. And maybe for the business guys who buy fleets of Ford products. I bet a few Hertz and Avis bigwigs get an allocation. But as the program is described, I don't see the dealers having a ton of influence and if a buyer can take his allocation to any Ford store, they won't have any leverage to mark up the car. One problem is that I can see the Ford stores that invest in the tools and training to service the cars screaming bloody murder over not getting to sell all of the cars, and frankly that has some merit. I sure don't see this as being just like the Ferrari allocation experience. Finally, as for putting the cars on the road BHWAHAHAHAHAHA! I can't tell you the last time I saw a GT, and there are over 4000 of them. Most of these cars are going into collections with the very rare outing to Cars & Coffee or a show.
Very nice. I think gloss black would be nicer than the flat paint though. Ford really hit a home run with this design.
"I can't tell you the last time I saw a GT, and there are over 4000 of them. Most of these cars are going into collections with the very rare outing to Cars & Coffee or a show." I have 23,000 miles on mine. It was my daily driver(not in the Winter) and I use it much less now. I still get a rush whenever I drive it. Joe
Good on you! But I suspect you will admit you are the exception. I've been shopping for a well cared for GT with 20-ishK on the clock and they are very rare indeed. Most cars have way under 10K miles and for cars now 10 yrs old that ain't much driving. Even your "high mileage" car has averaged under 2500 miles a year. These cars will almost all go into collections; I suspect Ford just wants the right collectors, not a bunch of speculators that don't have any intrinsic respect for the brand or car.
As I mentioned in an earlier post I'm over 13K. My guess is the reason why the milage cars are not for sale is because the owners truly enjoy them, and don't see anything more appealing to trade in on. I know thats the sentiment from the owners I communicate with.
I just got back from Rally X in Dearborn. 2700 miles round trip from Ft. Worth. My odo is at 43K. BTW, we have a Ford GT forum member with 130K plus miles. I plan on continuing to drive it to work at least twice a week. Just changed all 4 rotors and pads, plus the fuel filter as part of routine maintenance. I also change the oil and filter myself at 5k intervals. Car is relatively easy to work on. At 15 to 20 years of ownership, it will go to The GT Guys in Ohio for a suspension refurb, shocks, maybe engine seals and perhaps pain touchup. Wear, rinse, wash, repeat. Car is a blast to drive and relatively bomb proof.
Hello Mr. Mayor! I have included a video just for you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa-IhfD1hqs This video was shot during Ford GT National Rally 10 in Dearborn, Michigan (an event I produce). Raj Nair, Ford GVP of Global Product Development and Chief Technical Officer, made the announcement during the event that: 1. The new Ford GT will be assigned to the customer 2. The new Ford GT will be assigned to the customer by Ford 3. The customer will be able to have the car delivered to a certified Ford GT dealer of their choice You can skip to the 4:00 minute mark if you'd just like to watch the allocation process announcement. So, please, do tell me more about that bridge you have for sale!
