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Comments
Sounds like you did a nationwide inquiry to locate dealers willing to sell their allocation.
Now, all they have to do is line up flush buyers with money burning a hole in their pockets unwilling to wait their 'turn' in line and who have to have a Shelby RIGHT NOW.
I don't see any way that Ford would see fit to reward any one particular dealership with 28 units when everybody else if biting/scratching/clawing to get more than 1. Doesn't wash.
Unless one is a raving Shelby fan with a huge amount of disposable (and I do mean disposable) cash laying around....
As a comparison, let's take a look at original Shelby production #'s:
'65 Shelby: 562 units (including prototypes, R-models, and drag cars)
'66 Shelby: 2380 units (including the Hertz cars, 6 convertibles, and a handful of drag cars)
'67 Shelby: 3225 units
'68 Shelby: 4450 units
'69 Shelby: 3294 units (includes 789 units sold as '70 models).
That's a GRAND TOTAL of less than 14k units....sold over 6 model years. Of these, the only ones built BY SHELBY were the '65-68 models ('69s and '70s were built by Ford with Shelby designed body panels/trim). And IMO, most of the heavy desire for these is due to the racing history of the original GT350's.
IMO, the current GT500 is the spiritual successor to the '69 and '70 model cars.....some of the most 'unloved' of the original Shelby Mustangs.
What makes you think that YOU are the only dealership those 30 people have talked to? What makes you think that those 30 people (folks willing to drop $15k over MSRP) haven't inquired about availability with EVERY dealer they can talk to?
I wonder how many of those 30 folks were brokers being paid by their client to find ANY Shelby (without even knowing about colors and options) ANYwhere......afterall, if one is willing to drop $15k over MSRP, who cares about having the car shipped halfway across the country?
"Those who wait for the "over msrp" excitement to die down will never have one."
Spoken like a true salesmen.
16000 units is a LOT of units. How many Z06 Corvettes do you think will be made in a 2-year run? Are these cars (after being out for only a few months) commanding huge markups over MSRP?
In other news, I saw a transport truck loaded with Corvettes front to back yesterday headed across the street. Shouldn't be hard to find one if that's what you want. Pick up a cobalt while you're there. I think they have a few of them to choose from as well, and might even "deal" on them.
I think that the ONLY thing you're doing is trying to convince people that the ADM of $15k is essentially going to be a fixture on these cars because demand for these cars (even at a $15k markup) will continue to vastly outstrip supply throughout the model run.
To which I say: BS.
The ONLY reason I brought up the Z06 was to point out that, like the GT500, there was huge pent up demand for these cars and some dealers were also attempting to charge a big ADM.....for the first month or so. I don't think the planned production numbers on the Z06 was anywhere NEAR 8k units per year (lower supply), but I don't believe this has enabled the Chevy dealers to keep charging a large ADM on these cars.
Who knows; I could be wrong. Are Chevy dealers still getting thousands over MSRP on Z06's?
People dont necessarily buy things based on their merits or their price tag. If people were overly concerned on merits, chevy would never sell even one silverado. They're one generation behind every other manufacturer would currently builds full size trucks. If people were overly concerned about price, Saleen and Rousch would never be able to sell even one of their Mustangs. They cost nearly as much as the base MSRP of the Shelby.
I'm pretty sure there are probably 16000 people in the world who wouldnt mind paying for a piece of history.
The issue is one of production vs. demand. I'm not comparing the Shelby to the 'regular' production Corvette; I'm trying to get a sense of supply vs. demand by comparing what YOU say WILL happen with the Shelby GT500 by comparing what HAS HAPPENED with the Corvette Z06.
Ford isn't turning a profit on the GT500? Why in the HELL not? According to YOU, they could sell the whole damn run of 16k cars for 10-15k MORE than they are asking. Either all the marketing folks at Ford are complete and utter morons and you're a genius OR......the realistic price point for this car WILL BE $40-$45k.
16,000 units is in NO MEASURE a 'limited edition'. If they are intending a limited run, why not 12k units? Or maybe only 3k units? How is the GT500 more of a 'limited edition' than the Z06? According to the Official C6 Corvette registry, a grand total of 6272 '06 model Z06 Corvettes were built. Since 6k Z06 Corvettes in one year is less than the anticipated 8k Shelby GT500's, it certainly SEEMS as though the Z06 is more 'limited edition' than the Shelby.
So my question remains: after 1 year, are Chevy dealers STILL getting substantially over MSRP for the Z06?
"I'm pretty sure there are probably 16000 people in the world who wouldnt mind paying for a piece of history."
I'm sure there are. The only point in contention is AT WHAT PRICE.
To add a little news, one sold in Houston yesterday for $75000. I had an original Shelby owner call today and asked if he stroked a check for $60000, could he buy one we havent received yet. We passed on the 60k.
You're way off base on this one. For 2 years, people have paid 44k for saleen 281s and rousch stage 1s. I'd surely rather pay a little more and have something that actually goes faster than a GT and is collectible.
The fact is, these cars are demanding MSRP+ADM because of the Shelby name. Nothing more. Nothing less. And the folks who are actually PAYING $15-25k over MSRP now are doing it JUST to be the first ones in their group to have the new Shelby.
Just out of curiousity: why do you waste time defending your position? If you guys are covered up with folks (30 with deposits and only expect 3 cars in the next year), WHY BOTHER with what I think?
I'm still curious why you think that all the marketing and product planners who SET the prices at Ford are such morons by setting such a low low low MSRP when OBVIOUSLY the market can support all 16k units at $60k or higher?
Enjoy your large ADM while it lasts.
FOMOCO did not even engineer a special powerplant for the vehicle. For Pete's sake, the car uses a 10-year old blown v8 that was lazily conceived, to say the least, when first introduced. Anyone can make crazy power by supercharging a large v8 -- let's see something original. Why the hype?
First of all, it's "breaks".
"Brakes" are those round thingy's behind the wheels used to stop a car.
Second of all, you don't know me very well. The restored/modified '66 GT fastback in my garage (which is set up for mild open-track use) may be a clue to where my heart lies. And...it...ain't...with....Chevy.
I also understand WHY the most collectible Shelby's are the '65 and '66 models, with the collectibility tapering off to the least appreciated '69-'70 models.
Do you know why?
It's because Carrol Shelby had EVERYTHING to do with the earliest models. He got Mustang shells from Ford and built HIS cars to HIS specs in HIS factory. And it shows from the fact that these cars were very successfully raced back in the day (against small-block Corvettes no less). The later Shelby's were street poseurs, great at looking good and laying down a patch of rubber on the street; but otherwise a styling excercise built by and used by Ford to maintain excitement in the Mustang.
The current GT500 is the same. It has about as much to do with Carrol Shelby as the '03 models did; which is essentially NOTHING.
Face it, these are nothing but the lastest SVT Mustang Cobras (developed by SVT; NOT Carrol Shelby) with "Shelby" logos stuck on it.
Will the initial buyers drop stupid money on the SVT Cobra because it has "Shelby" logos on it? Sure. Some folks have more money than brains. But will the "Shelby" logos be enough to KEEP the demand up so high that Ford will run through the entire 16k production run with dealers able to demand huge ADM?
Ah....no.
Regarding the 03/04 cars; if memory serves, the initial buyers of THOSE cars were also paying a big markup. I found this post from March of '02 regarding the anticipated markup on the '03 Cobras:
texaszach, "Mustang Cobra / SVT Cobra" #53, 27 Mar 2002 7:20 am
In it appears this little gem:
"This particular dealership happens to be SVT certified. I spoke with him yesterday regarding the new snake. Their allotment of '03 Cobras is a total of 6. They have a waiting list for these cars despite a rumored premium of $10,000 above MSRP at their dealership."
Yet only a few months later, the going prices were under MSRP. Will history repeat itself? History has a strange habit of doing so.....
And just WHO do you think will be dropping $55k+ on the GT500?
Maybe guys who always wished they'd snapped up an original Shelby Mustang before the prices went out of sight and see THIS as their opportunity to recapture what they missed when they were younger?
Uh, like the mid-life crisis guys in their Vettes?
BTW - what is the current limited-edition Ford which is officially modified by Shelby, IN SHELBY'S FACTORY, to Shelby's specs with Shelby's parts (and receiving an official Shelby VIN) for street use?
Hint: it ain't the GT500......
Actually, the new Shelby Hertz car is pretty close.
Ford is shipping black Mustang GT's (all automatics) to Shelby's factory in Vegas. The Sheby workers then install the intake and exhaust mods, suspension mods, body mods, and paint the gold Hertz stripes (not much different from the way Shelby did the Hertz cars in '66, except of course the factory has moved from California to Vegas).
After the cars are run through Hertz (and eventually sold in 'gently used' condition :surprise: ), Shelby vin numbers will be added and the cars sold. They don't want to add the vin panels while the cars are rentals.....not all the vin panels would return with the cars.
And they're only doing about 500 of them (as opposed to 16k GT500s). One can only imagine the markup should adequityguy get his hands on one.......
Me too.
Of course, then I'd see no reason to drop an extra $15k just for the Shelby name on what is otherwise just the new SVT Cobra.
Apparently, Ford and Shelby are teaming up for a 325 hp version of the regular Mustang GT for a run of 4-10k cars slated to go on sale after the first of the year. These cars will ALSO be 'Shelby Mustangs'.
Out of curiousity: if the value of the current Shelby GT500 is tied to: 1. limited Availability and, 2. the Shelby name, does the presence another 4k - 10k units (hmmmm, maybe called the Shelby GT350?) have any impact on the collectibility of the GT500?
Will there soon be enough Shelby's built to meet demand?