Re: Ford's Rejection, my rant - Shelby Forums - Carroll Shelby - GT350

#1 (**permalink**) March 25th, 2005, 12:11 PM

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<DIV>It is not a reason of why Ford "can't" do something, but more of a rea=
son of why they "should" do something. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It is currently possible to order a vehicle at one dealership and have=
it delivered to a different dealership. It is done internally between deal=
erships all the time. For example, say a certain car dealer or dealership g=
roup owns a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in one city and a Ford car and truck=
dealership in another city. These two dealerships can be several 100 miles=
apart or even several states apart. If the Lincoln-Mercury dealership need=
s an internal work truck they order a truck through their Ford dealers=
hip and have it delivered (drop-shipped) directly to their Lincoln-Mercury =
dealership. Drop shipping a vehicle to a different location is done all the=
time. So internally Ford ia already set up to do this. There is a Ford dea=
lership right across the street from the new Mustang factory, (AAI or Auto =
Alliance plant) in Flat Rock, Michigan on I-75 just south of Detriot. &nbsp=
; </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>A dealership can sell any car over list price if people are willing to=
pay for it. Bassically dealerships all buy their vehicles from the pa=
rent car companies at the same price as one another. Ford or any =
other parent car company cannot force their dealers to only sell their=
cars for list price. Dealers are able to charge under, above or at li=
st price as they see fit. If a dealer sells a vehicle over sticke=
r the parent Ford Motor Company dosen't make an extra dime from the transac=
tion.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The new 2005 Mustang is a hot seller. The 2007 GT500 Cobra Mustang wil=
l be made in limited numbers. Ford is capacity constrained on how many Must=
angs they can make at the AAI plant. Ford Motor Company does not need =
any special group order from us. It will not help them sell any extra Musta=
ngs Gt or Cobras because demand outstrips the supply. Ford is going to sell=
every one they make without any help. The is great for the dealerships but=
not for us the Mustang enthuiast. So what's in it for Ford Motor=
Company to cater to us?    </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Would you be willing to pay an extra $1000 or $500 to fly into Detroit=
 (fly in at your own expense) get a tour of the new Mustang plant=
 (with lunch) pick up your car and drive it home. Regardless of w=
here you buy or pick-up your car from you usually take it to your near=
by dealer to get warranty work or service performed. Ford should have=
a deal set-up where you can order a Mustang at your local dealership =
but have it delivered at the Flat Rock Ford dealership across from the AAI =
plant and include a plant tour in the deal. They should set it up so t=
hat picking up your car and the tour is on Thursday. Fly into Det=
roit after work on Wednesday, tour and car delivery on Thursday and dr=
ive it home on Friday. Your local dealership gets the sale, the F=
lat Rock Ford dealership gets a fee for preping your car and deliverin=
g it, the assembly plant gets a fee for giving you a tour and the pare=
nt Ford Motor Company make a profit on the whole deal. What's wrong with th=
at? Sounds like a win-win-win situation for everyone. Just think if you cou=
ld schedule delivery of your new Mustang on the week just before the Woodwa=
rd Cruise in August? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I know the suggestion will come up of why can't I get my tour at the s=
ame time my car is being build so that I can watch it get built. There are =
a lot of internal reasons why Ford can't do that. A car in not built in a s=
ingle day. Also what would happen if there was loss of production on t=
he line and your vehicle got delayed? They are running overtime on two shif=
ts. You want to see your car get partially assemblied after midnight then h=
ave to be back again the next morning at 6 AM to get finished? If you fly i=
n and plan to drive it home you'd like to be sure your car is ready for you=
to take home when you get there. Most likely the assembly plant would=
have to plan to build it a week or two in advance before you plan to =
be there.    </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I think picking up a Mustang in Detroit at the assembly plant and=
getting a tour at the plant is something that Ford could do all year =
round. If there is a $$$ incentive for them to do it, I don't know why=
they don't consider it. Maybe we can talk them into the pilot program for =
this?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here's the question, if you could order a Mustang at your local dealer=
ship and come to Detriot, get a tour of the assembly plant and take your ne=
w Mustang home with you. Assuming the cost of how you get here and lodging =
is your own out of pocket expense. How much extra would you pay for this op=
tion and how many would be willing to do this?  </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Jim Seisser       & nbsp;<BR><BR><BR=
>-----Original Message----- <BR>From: gt350hz@aol.com <BR>Sent: Mar 24, 200=
5 5:04 PM <BR>To: rogerhol@willapabay.org, shelbymustang@carmemories.com <B=
R>Subject: Re: Ford's Rejection, my rant <BR><BR></DIV><ZZZHTML><ZZZBODY>
<DIV style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana'">
<DIV>
<DIV>There was no reason that Ford could not have made arrangements with th=
e greater Detroit area Ford dealers to handle a few hundred cars.&nbsp=
; The cars could have been processed through the local dealers and the driv=
e would have brought free publicity to Ford and the Mustang. &nbs=
p;It would not have been the same glamour as picking it up at the factory (=
like you could with a Chevrolet Corvette), but it would have achieved =
a publicity and customer benefit.</DIV>
<DIV>Lee 66 # 869 </DIV> <BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: =
Roger <rogerhol@willapabay.org><BR>To: shelbymustang@carmemories.com<=
BR>Sent: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 07:12:37 -0800<BR>Subject: Ford's Rejection, my r=
ant<BR><BR>
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<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'>Pete, et al,</=
FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'>Ford's rejecti=
on of your Pony Drive Mustangers' request is an example of what's wrong wit=
h our American car companies.  Ford's lost ground financially every mo=
nth for almost the last year.  GM is considering closing yet another d=
ivision, either Buick or Pontiac.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'>Alternatively,=
Toyota is operating under their 500-year business plan.  I kid you no=
t, they have one.  Ford probably has about a 6-year plan, which is as =
much or more foresight as you typically find in domestic corporations.&nbsp=
; And as you might expect from an organization taking a long-term outlook, =
T Motors will likely overtake G Motors in overall sales in the next year or=
so.  Ford will struggle and probably be a takeover candidate just lik=
e Chrysler.  Sadly, the Daimler buyout is what saved Chrysler and now =
we're seeing great products from the new company, and that bit of history m=
ay well repeat itself with other car manufacturers in Detroit.</FONT><=
/SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'>Everything cha=
nges when you take the long view in business or civic management.  I'm=
trying to get my little local city council to develop a mere 100-year plan=
so that we can make some orderly improvements in our sign ordinance (among=
other areas) that won't cause people to write off a year's worth=
of net income because some jackbooted councillors don't like the way busin=
esses have legally invested in their signs for the last 50 years.  A 2=
5-year phase-in of the new requirements doesn't seem so long when put in&nb=
sp;a 100-yr perspective, and it becomes palatable to mom & pop operatio=
ns when planning for the write-off and re-investment.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'>I know this is=
a digression, sorry (not).  It's just that nothing surprises me anymo=
re when I hear crap like this coming from Detroit.  Had they been thin=
king ahead back when they were turning out their abominable quality of prod=
ucts 50 yrs ago they wouldn't be in this predicament, and it appears that t=
he loss of the entire industry still doesn't get the message thru to them.&=
nbsp; Toyota owns the economy car segment with their incredibly hi-tech &am=
p; futuristic Prius, because of taking the long term approach.  Look o=
ut Cessna & Gulfstream when Toyota decides to sell the business aircraf=
t that they've already developed.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'></FONT></SPAN>=
 </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'>Quality. =
Customer care.  Long term planning.  This isn't rocket science.&=
nbsp; Americans taught the principles to the Japanese in the late '40's, an=
d now their winning the economic war.  </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'>Ford could've =
easily run your transaction thru any number of your members hometown d=
ealers and everyone would've been happy.  They're too short sighted.&n=
bsp; I'm sure they won't do the bulk deal for us Shelby buyers either.&nbsp=
; It's not even worth the call.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'>Apologies for =
the rant,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005><FONT face=3D'"Arial"'>Roger</FONT></=
SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D281264914-24032005>'67GT500</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV class=3DSection1>
<DIV class=3DMsoAutoSig align=3Dleft><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: norm=
al"><I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style=3D"COLOR: navy"><F=
ONT color=3D#ff0000>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= 3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D</FONT></SPAN></I></B></DIV>
<DIV class=3DMsoAutoSig align=3Dleft><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: norm=
al"><I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style=3D"COLOR: navy">It=
's from Roger and Jane!</SPAN></I></B></DIV></DIV></DIV><ZZZ!-- AOLMsgPart_=
3_91c771da-0894-489e-a3cf-7361b39a4ece -- of end></DIV></DIV></ZZZBODY></ZZ=
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