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.

[sarasota]

The photo looks like it's a Chrysler product. Yeah, a "bloated" car, not at all like the original. What were the designers thinking?

[bmwcyle]

You will see the name on a another design in about 5 years from now.

[P8riot]

You will see the name on a another design in about 5 years from now.

Yeah, but according to the article it will probably be called the "Funderchicken".

[Lost Highway]

Indeed, they don't make them like they used to. Sigh...

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Do you by a Thunderbird for $40,000 or Jaguar XK for $69,975?

[longtermmemmory]

Probably the same idiots who ruined the town car for that bloated melted marshmallow exterior with the disapointment inside. Ford better get its act together or they will be in big trouble again. The only thing for is gaining a reputation for is trying to shrink the size of they cars bit by bit. BTW didn't they already make a futura. It was a boxy monstrosity.

[stevio]

With the top up, you have to bend your neck at an uncomfortable angle to get in it.

[Welsh Rabbit]

My first car was a '91 Thunderbird. My main attraction to it was that it looked good (for early to mid '90s standards). What a piece of crap though. If it wasn't one thing, it was two. Bad transmission, bad compressor, the power steering hose broke a lot, poor electrical design, alternator troubles, ect, ect. Just goes to show what happens when you don't take your father's advice...

[banjo joe]

These new managers also think that the names of Ford vehicles should start with the letter F

What a dumb-dick idea. So typical of "management".

I can tell Ford one thing: They're selling F-trucks now, but they better get their quality control under control.

[PatrioticAmerican]

$40K was WAAAAY to much for that car! If they had made them for $25K, they would have sold. I remember the original press release and the car was to be about $33K.

[longtermmemmory]

even the insides under the hood were beautiful. Now the premium price is for the plastic panels. Someone told me that the jaguar two seater is really a taurus underneath? I have no confimation but I do not doubt it.

Ford makes the marauder.
Right idea but Ford lacks Focus.

[kellynla]

When FORD flew the Vietnamese flag at their corporate headquarters upon opening a plant in Viet Nam was the day I wrote off FORD. I wrote them a letter stating that my first car was a FORD and my last car was a FORD but I would never buy another FORD as long as I live. There are still thousands of unaccounted for POW's in Viet Nam. Semper Fi

[Consort]

History of the Ford Thunderbird.

[FrankRizzo890]

What will they rename the Mustang to? Fustang?

[weave09]

My experiences with Fords have been all bad, T-Bird, Escort.
I guess the sayings hold truth:

Found On Road Dead
F--kin Owner Read Dumb

[Moleman]

I concur, Fords in general suck.

[longtermmemmory]

I had one of those too, mine had all the bells and whistles, power moon roof, super stereo, leather interior, abs, and those really great automatic seat belts. (I really liked those, who was the ford idiot who got rid of those?) Mine was a regualr workhorse, it ended with 157000 miles on it. If they were still making that style I would have bought another. I guess consistency in quality is not job 1. I don't know what my next car will be, but it will NOT be a cougar, a town car, continental or other neutered shrinked car.

[liberalnot]

buy the buy, i by fords. (/s)

beginning w letter "f's", they're called "fixits."

seriously, if ford and gm are going to stay in the auto business then they need to offer something comparable to a toyota or honda. people that own these cars won't get out of them. sound strong?--a president of ford said the same thing recently concerning toyota and honda. he said they are both better cars than the taurus.

notice the new futura is built on a mazda platform, what's that tell you? the old, solid model-t feel will be out for the euro and asian feel.

i'm at the bottom of the food chain. i own a ford ranger.

[JohnnyZ]

Do you by a Thunderbird for $40,000 or Jaguar XK for $69,975?

Ugh, neither! Buy a real car.

The recent Tbird models (not the new one) were a joke.

The recent Jags are stuck somewhere between sporty and luxury and can't make either work. I used to like Jags but I wised up and went for Volvos. Seriesly.