Ford: Mustang News
06-10-2005, 07:08 PM
#323
Senior Moderator
http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/...e_20050601.htm
Mustang adds some sizzle to Ford sales
BY SARAH A. WEBSTER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
June 1, 2005
Detroit has a new crown jewel.
After just one year on the market, the much-lauded Chrysler 300 -- winner of a long list of awards and the gotta-have-it hype of such celebrities as Snoop Dogg -- is being outsold by a hot new domestic car. And a two-door coupe to boot.
Yes, the new Ford Mustang, after six months on the market, is more popular than the flashy 300.
For the first four months of the year, Ford Motor Co. sold 61,820 Mustangs, while the 300 raked in sales of 49,089 during the same period. That's a healthy lead of more than 12,000 vehicles for the new retro-inspired Mustang, which is built in Flat Rock.
Of course, comparing the Mustang to the 300 may seem like comparing an apple to an orange, said Jesse Toprak, a senior analyst at the consumer Web site Edmunds.com. The Mustang is a sporty coupe, or convertible, that costs between $19,890 and $31,420, while the 300 is a practical large sedan that costs between $24,045 and $35,095.
But the Chrysler 300 has been widely regarded as Detroit's hottest car during the past year, and Ford's Mustang seems to have quietly snatched that honor away from its crosstown rival this year.
"This is the hottest domestic product on the market right now," Michael Devan, general manager of Maroone Ford, a large dealership in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., said of the Mustang. His store has 48 customers on a waiting list for the GT version of the Mustang, and he's been trying to buy up Mustangs on eBay.com in order to meet his demand.
"The car is just plain hot," Devan said.
Steve Lyons, Ford's vice president for North American marketing, sales and service, said, "I don't think there's any question it's the hottest car in the industry."
Ford has a backlog of 14,000 retail orders, and about 30,000 dealer orders. So the Mustang is essentially sold out until the 2006 model year.
"We've just told the dealers, 'Stop -- we can't build anymore,' " Lyons said. "We're not going to add any significant capacity, and I do hope, at least for the foreseeable future, that we'll have a very sold-out plant."
Gary Dilts, senior vice president of sales for DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group, which makes Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles, said the Auburn Hills-based automaker is pleased with its 300 sales and is coming out with a variety of derivations to keep customers coming. An SRT-8 performance version of the 300C hit the market in April and some consumers are hoping for a convertible next year.
Dilts also noted that the Dodge Magnum and Charger are built off the same underlying architecture as the 300, keeping the Ontario plant that builds the vehicles extremely busy.
While Dilts noted that the 300 and Mustang sell in "totally different segments," he acknowledged that the "Mustang is doing a nice job ... and it's certainly got off to a good start."
Earlier this year, the designer of the 300 even gave kudos to the new Mustang, predicting it would sell well.
"I respect the Mustang," Ralph Gilles, the design director who oversees large Chrysler and Dodge passenger cars and minivans, said during an interview with the Free Press in February. "I give Ford a lot of credit for it. I think it's really well done. It's a beautiful car."
According to a consumer survey released by Edmunds.com in May, the Mustang won a landslide victory as the Most Significant Vehicle of the Year for 2005, and the Chrysler 300 sedan took second place. The two cars beat out all foreign competitors.
When it comes to hot product offerings from domestic automakers, Toprak said, "it's really the 300 and the Mustang."
The Mustang, though, seems to be getting a few more buyers than the 300 did after its launch.
Last month, consumers bought 19,559 Mustangs. The biggest month the 300 ever scored was in December, with 13,525 sales. The Mustang is averaging about 15,455 sales a month this year, versus 12,272 for the 300.
Toprak also noted that the Mustang is selling with a nominal $59 in estimated incentives six months after its launch. Edmunds.com estimates that the 300 had more than $1,100 in incentives six months after its kickoff, although Toprak noted that vehicles with higher sticker prices usually require bigger incentives.
Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of AutoNation Inc., the largest chain of auto dealerships in the country, in a recent interview called the Mustang "a complete success" and pointed to it as proof that Detroit automakers can make a strong comeback against foreign competitors.
Despite the success of the new Mustang, however, analysts expect Ford Motor Co. sales to be down 2 to 5% in May. Automakers are expected to report their results today. Wall Street experts who track the industry, meanwhile, expect sales to be down 5 to 7% at General Motors Corp. and up 3 to 6% at the Auburn Hills-based Chrysler Group.
Devan believes the Mustang's heritage and the retro styling of the new model have been crucial to its success."What that car doesn't have that the Mustang has is" a legacy, Devan said of the 300.
Having a pool of consumers chomping at the bit for a new Mustang might have given the product an edge over the 300.
Just ask 82-year-old John Kachigian of Northville, a retired Ford worker who bought his 12th Mustang last year, when the company released its new body style.
"The car does make you feel a lot younger," said Kachigian, who said he has been anxiously waiting for Ford to build a retro version of the Mustang that harkens back to the old Mustang with which he first fell in love.
"I want to go back in time," he said.
While the Mustang name seems to lend some edge to the sports car, the success is somewhat surprising given the fact the car is a two-door coupe. Sedans are usually seen as better sellers than coupes -- largely because they are more practical -- and some automakers have been moving away from that segment of the market.
Chrysler "expanded its potential customer base" when it decided to make the new Dodge Charger a four-door sedan instead of a coupe, Toprak said.
But as competitors move out of the sporty car coupe segment, Mustang is taking an increasingly large piece of that coupe pie. Ford estimates the Mustang's share of the "sporty car" segment at 54.6% through April.
"This coupe has shown that a coupe can be successful," said Robert Parker, Ford division's car marketing manager. With shifts in the market, he also noted, "it's difficult to pinpoint a challenger."
Lyons ticked off a list of competitors, such as the Camaro and Firebird, which no longer exist in the segment.
"It's sort of amazing that we can be in this business, and be that strong, when all these others have disappeared," he said.
Mustang adds some sizzle to Ford sales
BY SARAH A. WEBSTER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
June 1, 2005
Detroit has a new crown jewel.
After just one year on the market, the much-lauded Chrysler 300 -- winner of a long list of awards and the gotta-have-it hype of such celebrities as Snoop Dogg -- is being outsold by a hot new domestic car. And a two-door coupe to boot.
Yes, the new Ford Mustang, after six months on the market, is more popular than the flashy 300.
For the first four months of the year, Ford Motor Co. sold 61,820 Mustangs, while the 300 raked in sales of 49,089 during the same period. That's a healthy lead of more than 12,000 vehicles for the new retro-inspired Mustang, which is built in Flat Rock.
Of course, comparing the Mustang to the 300 may seem like comparing an apple to an orange, said Jesse Toprak, a senior analyst at the consumer Web site Edmunds.com. The Mustang is a sporty coupe, or convertible, that costs between $19,890 and $31,420, while the 300 is a practical large sedan that costs between $24,045 and $35,095.
But the Chrysler 300 has been widely regarded as Detroit's hottest car during the past year, and Ford's Mustang seems to have quietly snatched that honor away from its crosstown rival this year.
"This is the hottest domestic product on the market right now," Michael Devan, general manager of Maroone Ford, a large dealership in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., said of the Mustang. His store has 48 customers on a waiting list for the GT version of the Mustang, and he's been trying to buy up Mustangs on eBay.com in order to meet his demand.
"The car is just plain hot," Devan said.
Steve Lyons, Ford's vice president for North American marketing, sales and service, said, "I don't think there's any question it's the hottest car in the industry."
Ford has a backlog of 14,000 retail orders, and about 30,000 dealer orders. So the Mustang is essentially sold out until the 2006 model year.
"We've just told the dealers, 'Stop -- we can't build anymore,' " Lyons said. "We're not going to add any significant capacity, and I do hope, at least for the foreseeable future, that we'll have a very sold-out plant."
Gary Dilts, senior vice president of sales for DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group, which makes Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles, said the Auburn Hills-based automaker is pleased with its 300 sales and is coming out with a variety of derivations to keep customers coming. An SRT-8 performance version of the 300C hit the market in April and some consumers are hoping for a convertible next year.
Dilts also noted that the Dodge Magnum and Charger are built off the same underlying architecture as the 300, keeping the Ontario plant that builds the vehicles extremely busy.
While Dilts noted that the 300 and Mustang sell in "totally different segments," he acknowledged that the "Mustang is doing a nice job ... and it's certainly got off to a good start."
Earlier this year, the designer of the 300 even gave kudos to the new Mustang, predicting it would sell well.
"I respect the Mustang," Ralph Gilles, the design director who oversees large Chrysler and Dodge passenger cars and minivans, said during an interview with the Free Press in February. "I give Ford a lot of credit for it. I think it's really well done. It's a beautiful car."
According to a consumer survey released by Edmunds.com in May, the Mustang won a landslide victory as the Most Significant Vehicle of the Year for 2005, and the Chrysler 300 sedan took second place. The two cars beat out all foreign competitors.
When it comes to hot product offerings from domestic automakers, Toprak said, "it's really the 300 and the Mustang."
The Mustang, though, seems to be getting a few more buyers than the 300 did after its launch.
Last month, consumers bought 19,559 Mustangs. The biggest month the 300 ever scored was in December, with 13,525 sales. The Mustang is averaging about 15,455 sales a month this year, versus 12,272 for the 300.
Toprak also noted that the Mustang is selling with a nominal $59 in estimated incentives six months after its launch. Edmunds.com estimates that the 300 had more than $1,100 in incentives six months after its kickoff, although Toprak noted that vehicles with higher sticker prices usually require bigger incentives.
Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of AutoNation Inc., the largest chain of auto dealerships in the country, in a recent interview called the Mustang "a complete success" and pointed to it as proof that Detroit automakers can make a strong comeback against foreign competitors.
Despite the success of the new Mustang, however, analysts expect Ford Motor Co. sales to be down 2 to 5% in May. Automakers are expected to report their results today. Wall Street experts who track the industry, meanwhile, expect sales to be down 5 to 7% at General Motors Corp. and up 3 to 6% at the Auburn Hills-based Chrysler Group.
Devan believes the Mustang's heritage and the retro styling of the new model have been crucial to its success."What that car doesn't have that the Mustang has is" a legacy, Devan said of the 300.
Having a pool of consumers chomping at the bit for a new Mustang might have given the product an edge over the 300.
Just ask 82-year-old John Kachigian of Northville, a retired Ford worker who bought his 12th Mustang last year, when the company released its new body style.
"The car does make you feel a lot younger," said Kachigian, who said he has been anxiously waiting for Ford to build a retro version of the Mustang that harkens back to the old Mustang with which he first fell in love.
"I want to go back in time," he said.
While the Mustang name seems to lend some edge to the sports car, the success is somewhat surprising given the fact the car is a two-door coupe. Sedans are usually seen as better sellers than coupes -- largely because they are more practical -- and some automakers have been moving away from that segment of the market.
Chrysler "expanded its potential customer base" when it decided to make the new Dodge Charger a four-door sedan instead of a coupe, Toprak said.
But as competitors move out of the sporty car coupe segment, Mustang is taking an increasingly large piece of that coupe pie. Ford estimates the Mustang's share of the "sporty car" segment at 54.6% through April.
"This coupe has shown that a coupe can be successful," said Robert Parker, Ford division's car marketing manager. With shifts in the market, he also noted, "it's difficult to pinpoint a challenger."
Lyons ticked off a list of competitors, such as the Camaro and Firebird, which no longer exist in the segment.
"It's sort of amazing that we can be in this business, and be that strong, when all these others have disappeared," he said.
06-12-2005, 08:47 PM
#326
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Originally Posted by Minch00
Look at the radio and air conditioning controls. Ok kiddo?
The radio and A/C unit are different in both picks BTW. Notice the re-circ button on the GT.
06-12-2005, 08:58 PM
#328
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Originally Posted by cob3683
Look the same to me? 
06-22-2005, 12:25 AM
#329
Senior Moderator
Car & Driver review..... they got:
0-60: 4.0 seconds
1/4 mile: 12.5 @ 116 mph
pretty damn quick for an est. $39k!!!
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=9638
0-60: 4.0 seconds
1/4 mile: 12.5 @ 116 mph
pretty damn quick for an est. $39k!!!
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=9638
06-22-2005, 01:44 AM
#331
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by gavriil
I am expecting this car to be faster and quicker than a base C6.
06-22-2005, 08:08 AM
#332
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Originally Posted by SpeedyV6
How is this engine different from the one in the GT40?
06-22-2005, 12:35 PM
#333
'Big Daddy Diggler'
Originally Posted by DownUnder
The engine design is pretty much the same, but one of the biggest differences is that the Ford GT’s 5.4L engine has an aluminum block and heads, while the GT500 will have an iron block and aluminum heads.
06-28-2005, 11:47 AM
#336
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Want a Mustang? You'll Have to Wait for 2006 Models - - By Mac Gordon - - Source: The Car Connection
Ford dealers have been asked to cease accepting orders for the 2005-model Mustang and switch customers to 2006 models, according to Jim Owens, marketing manager for the Ford Division. The restyled and retro 2005 model enjoys "sold-out" status, a USA Today story reported (June 26) with sales up 47 percent for the January-May period to 81,541 cars - outselling 13 brands, including Mercedes-Benz, Saturn, Scion, and Subaru.
Limited in production by the revamped Flat Rock, Michigan assembly plant it shares with Mazda6 compact models, Ford says it's working to satisfy 5500 remaining orders for 2005 models of the Mustang. Mustang fans, many loyal since the first Mustangs arrived in the early 1960s, have been beguiled by the retro look associated with the 2005 models. This includes round headlights and chrome trim inside the cabin, plus the famed pony logo of a four-legged Mustang racing clockwise, as contrasted with the counter-clockwise position of horse races.
Owens said most back orders for the new Mustang are for the GT model, with the 300 horsepower V-8 engine. What's not selling so swiftly are the 210 horsepower V-6 models, but eventually they find buyers, too, most in less than a month's time. Resale values of late-model Mustangs have spiked by up to $1000, even for 2003 and 2004 models, says Kelley Blue Book.
Limited in production by the revamped Flat Rock, Michigan assembly plant it shares with Mazda6 compact models, Ford says it's working to satisfy 5500 remaining orders for 2005 models of the Mustang. Mustang fans, many loyal since the first Mustangs arrived in the early 1960s, have been beguiled by the retro look associated with the 2005 models. This includes round headlights and chrome trim inside the cabin, plus the famed pony logo of a four-legged Mustang racing clockwise, as contrasted with the counter-clockwise position of horse races.
Owens said most back orders for the new Mustang are for the GT model, with the 300 horsepower V-8 engine. What's not selling so swiftly are the 210 horsepower V-6 models, but eventually they find buyers, too, most in less than a month's time. Resale values of late-model Mustangs have spiked by up to $1000, even for 2003 and 2004 models, says Kelley Blue Book.
06-28-2005, 12:00 PM
#339
Photography Nerd
The best part about having something that is "sold out" is that demand and $$$$ will go up when they come back on the market. People want what they can't have.
06-28-2005, 12:14 PM
#341
Senior Moderator
Whats not to like about them? I think they are a hit!
Seen soo many already on the roads. Also been seeing A LOT of the C6 running around. Saw my first Z06 over the weekend too
Seen soo many already on the roads. Also been seeing A LOT of the C6 running around. Saw my first Z06 over the weekend too
06-28-2005, 12:15 PM
#342
Senior Moderator
I noticed I saw a lot of Mustangs out this past weekend.... saw a GT rumble by, I liked. 
oh yea - glad to see the 300C dethroned - I think it got way more than its share of attention...
oh yea - glad to see the 300C dethroned - I think it got way more than its share of attention...
06-28-2005, 12:24 PM
#343
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there are literally 50 on the ford lot near me, i think its hot but i saw an old fat woman driving one, made me realize that just like the old one, this will be as common as water
06-28-2005, 12:29 PM
#344
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by Python2121
there are literally 50 on the ford lot near me, i think its hot but i saw an old fat woman driving one, made me realize that just like the old one, this will be as common as water
the exterior looks great but the interior materials are crappy looking in person. CHEAP(plastic?) would be the word
06-28-2005, 01:56 PM
#345
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Originally Posted by fsttyms1
same here. both our dealers have like 50 of them sitting around.
the exterior looks great but the interior materials are crappy looking in person. CHEAP(plastic?) would be the word
the exterior looks great but the interior materials are crappy looking in person. CHEAP(plastic?) would be the word
06-28-2005, 02:07 PM
#346
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Originally Posted by Python2121
there are literally 50 on the ford lot near me
06-28-2005, 02:37 PM
#347
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Originally Posted by DownUnder
It's a $25K 300HP V8 RWD coupe what do you expect. How many coupes do you know that have a very high quality interior and 300HP that runs on regular unleaded for about $25K?
Only half kidding...
06-28-2005, 02:37 PM
#348
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Originally Posted by DownUnder
95% of those cars sitting on the lots are most likely V6 Mustangs. I haven't seen more then two or three Mustang GT's sitting at a time in the lot at the high volume Ford dealer we have here.
06-28-2005, 02:42 PM
#349
Pit Stop?
Originally Posted by DownUnder
95% of those cars sitting on the lots are most likely V6 Mustangs. I haven't seen more then two or three Mustang GT's sitting at a time in the lot at the high volume Ford dealer we have here.
For every GT I see, I see 10 V6s driven my middle aged fat women 
06-28-2005, 02:46 PM
#350
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Originally Posted by gavriil
Most of the ones I have seen on the road are V6s for some reason.
06-28-2005, 02:58 PM
#351
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by DownUnder
It's a $25K 300HP V8 RWD coupe what do you expect. How many coupes do you know that have a very high quality interior and 300HP that runs on regular unleaded for about $25K?
GTO
06-28-2005, 03:31 PM
#355
Moderator Alumnus
Originally Posted by Minch00
Look at the radio and air conditioning controls. Ok kiddo?
whatever man
all hale minch!
all hale minch!
Here is your *blatent* statement...
It's the exact same dash/center console as my F-150!
b.t.w.
The "center console" is usually referred to the unit that runs on the floor in the middle of the seats up to the dash. It's where the shifter is placed on the mustang. There is NO A/C controls there, and the Ford F150 has a tree shifter, and the centerconsole is an option.
However I suppose the center of the *dash* can be called the "center console"
Anyway, I don't feel like humoring myself talking about this. So to appease you, fine they are *exactly* the same
06-28-2005, 11:01 PM
#356
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I guess it’s good for Ford that the Mustang is selling, but I don’t see what a big deal the “sellout” is.
Don’t most auto manufacturers shut down and switch over model years in the July/August timeframe?
Obviously you can’t place a new order at that time.
Don’t most auto manufacturers shut down and switch over model years in the July/August timeframe?
Obviously you can’t place a new order at that time.
06-29-2005, 04:45 AM
#357
GEEZER
Originally Posted by Crazy Sellout
Whats not to like about them? I think they are a hit!
Seen soo many already on the roads.
Seen soo many already on the roads.
06-29-2005, 05:36 AM
#358
Race Director
Originally Posted by Shawn S
I guess it’s good for Ford that the Mustang is selling, but I don’t see what a big deal the “sellout” is.
Don’t most auto manufacturers shut down and switch over model years in the July/August timeframe?
Obviously you can’t place a new order at that time.
Don’t most auto manufacturers shut down and switch over model years in the July/August timeframe?
Obviously you can’t place a new order at that time.
06-29-2005, 05:46 AM
#359
She said: it's GINORMOUS!
Originally Posted by 1killercls
This reason alone is why I would never own one.
06-29-2005, 12:16 PM
#360
Senior Moderator
What I think is REALLY impressive is that the resale value of used 2003-2004 have GONE UP !!
I'm really thinking that a mustang might be in my future... I only have 35K miles on the CLS, so I'll have a couple of years before I get rid of it, but it's going to be interesting to see what happens to the coupe market in the next few years... Will a coupe from another manufacture be able to outsell the 2005 Mustang ?? (I doubt it)...
I'm really thinking that a mustang might be in my future... I only have 35K miles on the CLS, so I'll have a couple of years before I get rid of it, but it's going to be interesting to see what happens to the coupe market in the next few years... Will a coupe from another manufacture be able to outsell the 2005 Mustang ?? (I doubt it)...