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ADM on 2nd Year Run Of GT500's?


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Well Thanks to Five Oh... I called my Ford Dealership that I am on the list at to see if they

know how many 07 GT500's they will be getting. Thanks for the Help btw... But unfortunately

The Sales Consultant that was in charge of the GT500 Sales Is no longer with the Dealership, and

the LIST is GONE too. :fan:

 

They are only getting 4 cars, and on the original list i was slotted 6th... So No sweat of my skin, just ment that I would definately not be getting an 07. The Problem was that now they are saying they have sold 3 of the 4 cars at 20,000 over MSRP. When I was previously told that they had sold only 1 for 15,000 over and the rest would prob sell for between 10 and 15 over. Good thing they lost their list of customers. LOL

 

Anyway point being... I have added myself to that Dealers List for an 08 and am on the Hunt for 08 GT500's.

 

My Question is do dealerships usually get high ADM's on the 2nd year model of cars? What has been everyone's experience with this? Will it be much easier to get at GT500 at MSRP for 2008 model year?

 

Due to my new found situation... I guess im needing to get on as many lists for an 08 as I can and start deal hunting again. Any Help and thoughts would be greatly apprieciated.

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Well Thanks to Five Oh... I called my Ford Dealership that I am on the list at to see if they

know how many 07 GT500's they will be getting. Thanks for the Help btw... But unfortunately

The Sales Consultant that was in charge of the GT500 Sales Is no longer with the Dealership, and

the LIST is GONE too. :fan:

 

They are only getting 4 cars, and on the original list i was slotted 6th... So No sweat of my skin, just ment that I would definately not be getting an 07. The Problem was that now they are saying they have sold 3 of the 4 cars at 20,000 over MSRP. When I was previously told that they had sold only 1 for 15,000 over and the rest would prob sell for between 10 and 15 over. Good thing they lost their list of customers. LOL

 

Anyway point being... I have added myself to that Dealers List for an 08 and am on the Hunt for 08 GT500's.

 

My Question is do dealerships usually get high ADM's on the 2nd year model of cars? What has been everyone's experience with this? Will it be much easier to get at GT500 at MSRP for 2008 model year?

 

Due to my new found situation... I guess im needing to get on as many lists for an 08 as I can and start deal hunting again. Any Help and thoughts would be greatly apprieciated.

 

First of all, don't believe what the dealers are telling you. They do not know how many cars they are getting. The number they have been told are the MINIMUM number of cars they will get. After the intial allotment, Ford will divide the rest of the cars up based on Total Mustang Sales (rumors are also saying they might draw a lottery for the distribution). This is known as "Share of Nation."

 

I figure the intial allotment will be about 7000 cars. Ford has announced 9-10k cars, but, we all know they will build more than that unless some outside constraint (like Transmission availability) prevents it. SVT told me up to 13,000 a year several months ago. Ford needs to sell as many cars as they can to make as much money as they can. If you want to buy one, Ford will be happy to build you one and sell it to you. It might take until 2008, but, eventually the cars will be readily available and MSRP will be the norm. At some point the cars will be sold at a discount (not likely rebates, though). The Terminators went through this and so did the Mach 1. Most hot new cars go through it. Even the PT Cruiser and the Miata had a brief ADM period.

 

To answer your question. No, I don't think ADM will be a problem in MY 2008.

 

The recent announcement of another Shelby Variant may make that happen even sooner.

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When I bought my 96, which was the first year with the 305hp 4.6, I got it for MSRP, but my dealer discovered most dealers were doing 3k over and tried to charge me more; the next year you could get a 97 for MSRP or less. I was all set to buy a 2003 Cobra, until I discovered I'd have to pay 5k over (I bought a new truck instead); and again when I asked a salesman a year later what it would take to get into a new 04 Cobra in the showroom, he said 1.5k under the MSRP. In other words I think the same thing will happen this time as well (So why didn't I wait :doh:

CC

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Well Thanks to Five Oh... I called my Ford Dealership that I am on the list at to see if they

know how many 07 GT500's they will be getting. Thanks for the Help btw... But unfortunately

The Sales Consultant that was in charge of the GT500 Sales Is no longer with the Dealership, and

the LIST is GONE too. :fan:

 

They are only getting 4 cars, and on the original list i was slotted 6th... So No sweat of my skin, just ment that I would definately not be getting an 07. The Problem was that now they are saying they have sold 3 of the 4 cars at 20,000 over MSRP. When I was previously told that they had sold only 1 for 15,000 over and the rest would prob sell for between 10 and 15 over. Good thing they lost their list of customers. LOL

 

Anyway point being... I have added myself to that Dealers List for an 08 and am on the Hunt for 08 GT500's.

 

My Question is do dealerships usually get high ADM's on the 2nd year model of cars? What has been everyone's experience with this? Will it be much easier to get at GT500 at MSRP for 2008 model year?

 

Due to my new found situation... I guess im needing to get on as many lists for an 08 as I can and start deal hunting again. Any Help and thoughts would be greatly apprieciated.

 

 

I don't see ADMs going down if there are others like you are shopping for 2008s when the 2008 model year is 11 months away.

Darn it, It's that Supply and Demand thing again..... :rant:

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Guest evilchris

I don't see ADMs going down if there are others like you are shopping for 2008s when the 2008 model year is 11 months away.

Darn it, It's that Supply and Demand thing again..... :rant:

 

 

The demand is less than the eventual supply I guarantee you. Right now you have about 1000 or 2000 people trying to buy from a field of about 400 cars. When 9000 a year are built bye bye ADM. ADM's have gone dwon $10k already in just 1 month. 15k to go.

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Thanks for the Info. It certainly Helps subside my dissappointing conversation I had earlier today. I didnt want to burn any dealership bridges so I was NICE, since I too expect them to go down.. just didnt know if they would try to Get ADM's on the First My 08's that come off the line.

 

So you do think if im one of the first two on the 08 list... Ill be looking at paying MSRP..... SWEET !!!!

Ill go Back to Relaxing and Being Patient.

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First of all, don't believe what the dealers are telling you. They do not know how many cars they are getting. The number they have been told are the MINIMUM number of cars they will get. After the intial allotment, Ford will divide the rest of the cars up based on Total Mustang Sales (rumors are also saying they might draw a lottery for the distribution). This is known as "Share of Nation."

 

I figure the intial allotment will be about 7000 cars. Ford has announced 9-10k cars, but, we all know they will build more than that unless some outside constraint (like Transmission availability) prevents it. SVT told me up to 13,000 a year several months ago. Ford needs to sell as many cars as they can to make as much money as they can. If you want to buy one, Ford will be happy to build you one and sell it to you. It might take until 2008, but, eventually the cars will be readily available and MSRP will be the norm. At some point the cars will be sold at a discount (not likely rebates, though). The Terminators went through this and so did the Mach 1. Most hot new cars go through it. Even the PT Cruiser and the Miata had a brief ADM period.

 

To answer your question. No, I don't think ADM will be a problem in MY 2008.

 

The recent announcement of another Shelby Variant may make that happen even sooner.

 

 

I tend to agree. If you stop and think about it. There is no way Ford will build 9,000 units or more and have them sell for 10+K over sticker...it has never happend and likely never will. Another thought to ponder is there are a lot more people that want them than afford them even at sticker, it's just that type of car. So right now it seems like the ADM will never fall, but I'd be willing to bet by the time it's all said and done '07s will eventually go for sticker.

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First of all, don't believe what the dealers are telling you. They do not know how many cars they are getting. The number they have been told are the MINIMUM number of cars they will get. After the intial allotment, Ford will divide the rest of the cars up based on Total Mustang Sales (rumors are also saying they might draw a lottery for the distribution). This is known as "Share of Nation."

 

 

5.4 Shelby, we have our total 2007 allocation number including Share of Nation now, not just the minimum. Ford sent a letter to each dealer (dated July 26th, 2006) with the total number. Our total for 2007 (as I posted in a seperate thread) is five (5)...

 

2 = Full Line SVT Dealer

1 = 2005 Pres Award Winner

1 = Shelby Certified

1 = Share of Nation

----------------------------------

5 = Total 2007 Allocation

 

Each dealership will have a unique Share of Nation figure. Many dealers will get very few GT500's. Some dealers did not opt into the program and will get none. Some dealers have actively searched to buy up extra GT500's from other dealers. There's a dealer near us that supposedly has about 20 GT500's coming in 2007. Check out their website: www.bickford.net. They bought a bunch of powerlease certificates and bought GT500 allocation from other dealers, so I'd hate to guess what kind of ADM's they're expecting. Rumor is they're getting $25K ADM's on those they've already sold (crazy!).

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B)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Aug 5 2006, 09:47 AM) 32818[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->

5.4 Shelby, we have our total 2007 allocation number including Share of Nation now, not just the minimum. Ford sent a letter to each dealer (dated July 26th, 2006) with the total number. Our total for 2007 (as I posted in a seperate thread) is five (5)...

 

2 = Full Line SVT Dealer

1 = 2005 Pres Award Winner

1 = Shelby Certified

1 = Share of Nation

----------------------------------

5 = Total 2007 Allocation

 

Each dealership will have a unique Share of Nation figure. Many dealers will get very few GT500's. Some dealers did not opt into the program and will get none. Some dealers have actively searched to buy up extra GT500's from other dealers. There's a dealer near us that supposedly has about 20 GT500's coming in 2007. Check out their website: www.bickford.net. They bought a bunch of powerlease certificates and bought GT500 allocation from other dealers, so I'd hate to guess what kind of ADM's they're expecting. Rumor is they're getting $25K ADM's on those they've already sold (crazy!).

 

Admittedly, I have been slacking a little on reading posts on the boards. So, I missed your other thread. I have lost the majority of my enthusiasm for this car. The ADMs are really p***ing me off.

 

However, I make the above statement based on recent conversations with local dealers. None of them have been given their share of nation car allotment yet. Additionally, Ford has not announced the final production numbers yet (that I know of). They are basing your share of nation on the 10k build forecast. We all know they will build as many as they can. When they up production to 13 or so thousand cars, those extra 3000 will be going somewhere. They will revise the allotment and send them to the stronger dealers.

 

As those people on their (bickford) list find other cars and/or back out for whatever reason, they will have a hard time selling all 20 of those at 25k over.

 

I'm no expert, but, I have been following cars for many years. The ADMs will not last. Shelby name or not. If the car were truely limited (250 cars or something like that), then I could see the ADMs lasting. Even Ford GTs and Z06s came down to sticker.

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Another way to look at the ADM for the 2007. If you paid MSRP for the 2007 you

are doing business with a good dealer . If you paid 2-3K over MSRP you still

are getting a decent deal because the MSRP will more than likely increase

for 2008. After that its just how quick do you want the car. I think they

should be down to 2008 MSRP maybe a couple % below. Getting a deal

set up for a 2008 now would be a good idea. I would try one of the dealers

that were at MSRP for the 2007. I got on my dealers list July 05. I was #2

on the list my car was submitted to plant 8/3/06. Stick with the reputable

dealers and run from the rest. Just my .02

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We have 40+ customers on our GT500 who are insistent that they will not a penny over MSRP and are willing to wait to avoid ADM's. That's cool; maybe someday we will get enough GT500's so that MSRP is the correct market price in our area - maybe. However, we still have 24 customers willing to pay the $10K ADM we have on our 2007's, but we only get 5 cars for 2007 so it'll be a long time before we ever get to the MSRP crowd.

 

Rick, just because we're charging an ADM doesn't mean that we are not a reputable dealer. We've been offered much more than $10K over MSRP from quite a few guys wishing to secure a GT500, but we stuck with $10K over as it appears to be the right money that pleases more than enough customers while offending as few as possible.

 

5.4 Shelby, while Ford would step up production of 2007 GT500's if they could, they can't due to vendor constraints. 9K units is about maxed out. 2008 is a whole different story, as they could have bigger commitments from vendors by then.

 

Ultimately, I still believe that everyone who wants a Shelby GT500 will be able to get one eventually during the 2-year production run if they are patient enough and truly able to afford one. I throw in that last piece about being able to afford one as there are plenty of guys who want this car who simply cannot afford to buy a $43K vehicle - even without ADM's - yet they insist on being on GT500 lists and talking big like they're gonna get a car (that's beyond their means). I'm all for dreaming, but a reality check is in order for some people. I've had more than a few guys (and gals) come in asking about the GT500 who have rough credit, no money down, owe too much on their Hyundai/Kia/Yugo/whatever, and want a GT500 for $300/month. Can't interest them in a $20K Mustang V6 as the GT500 is their dream car! If you weed out those guys, there should be more than enough GT500's for those who are willing and able to spend MSRP (or more in the case of ADM's).

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Guest evilchris

I've got $50,000 cash to put down does that work for you Five Oh?

 

I also think your list will die out as the people waiting will give up and buy some other car.

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B)-->

QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Aug 5 2006, 02:06 PM) 32864[/snapback]

 

Ultimately, I still believe that everyone who wants a Shelby GT500 will be able to get one eventually during the 2-year production run if they are patient enough and truly able to afford one. I throw in that last piece about being able to afford one as there are plenty of guys who want this car who simply cannot afford to buy a $43K vehicle - even without ADM's - yet they insist on being on GT500 lists and talking big like they're gonna get a car (that's beyond their means). I'm all for dreaming, but a reality check is in order for some people. I've had more than a few guys (and gals) come in asking about the GT500 who have rough credit, no money down, owe too much on their Hyundai/Kia/Yugo/whatever, and want a GT500 for $300/month. Can't interest them in a $20K Mustang V6 as the GT500 is their dream car! If you weed out those guys, there should be more than enough GT500's for those who are willing and able to spend MSRP (or more in the case of ADM's).

 

That is part of what I am talking about. The "lists" are not as deep as most dealers believe.

 

1. Nearly everyone is on multiple lists, but, only will buy one car.

2. Some people are the ones you speak of above. On the list, but, not gonna buy at any price.

3. Some people are getting tired of the monkey business (including me) and are going to buy other cars.

 

As the real list of buyers plays out, there will be cars available. I'm sure that you will sell all 5 of your cars. But, I don't think that all dealers will sell all the cars. there are a ton of small town dealers holding on to their cars waiting for the big pop. These dealers will get their cars later in the run and, by then, the list of people willing or able to pay 10k over will be much shorter. It always happens, always will. I'm willing to bet that your list is shorter than it was 6 months ago and will be even shorter 6 months from now. The demand will taper and the supply will catch up.

 

As always, I appreciate you input. If you had an MSRP car available, I would gladly buy it from you.

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Another way to look at the ADM for the 2007. If you paid MSRP for the 2007 you

are doing business with a good dealer . If you paid 2-3K over MSRP you still

are getting a decent deal because the MSRP will more than likely increase

for 2008. After that its just how quick do you want the car. I think they

should be down to 2008 MSRP maybe a couple % below. Getting a deal

set up for a 2008 now would be a good idea. I would try one of the dealers

that were at MSRP for the 2007. I got on my dealers list July 05. I was #2

on the list my car was submitted to plant 8/3/06. Stick with the reputable

dealers and run from the rest. Just my .02

 

 

 

Thanks for all The Great Info Five Oh... and I appreaciate everyones feedback...

 

Anyone in Texas/ Oklahoma or anywhere within a two State Range get an MSRP

Deal for and 07 that wasnt a powerlease holder, or have a special plan set up?

If so Pls message me the dealership.. and Ill start making calls.. Thanks :-) :sos:

 

I have no problem affording the car just dont want to pay the ADM...

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I've got $50,000 cash to put down does that work for you Five Oh?

 

I also think your list will die out as the people waiting will give up and buy some other car.

 

 

You are absolutely 100% correct that our list will be different over time. It has changed dramatically since we started it early in 2005. There has been - and will continue to be - attrition from the list. People get tired of waiting, or they buy something else, or they buy a house or have to pay the kids' tuition at college, etc. I've reminded our best customers of this when they worry that our list is so big that they'll never have any good odds of getting a GT500 from us next year. 65 on our list today, but maybe only 20 or 30 on our list a year from now would be ideal.

 

Your $50K cash down won't help at our dealership as we pre-sold all 5 of our GT500's long ago. We took $10,000 cash deposits from these customers to be sure they were serious, and that money went into a trust fund as madated by state law - not some interest bearing account for the dealership to make money on.

 

Unlike many lists out there, we personally know about 1/2 the people on our list. These are customers who have bought from us (often many, many times over) so we have a good feel for their intent and ability to buy. Keep in mind that we've been a large-volume, full-line SVT dealer since 1993 so we have a huge following of SVT-faithful in our database. We contact them frequently to see if they are still interested or have secured deals elsewhere. I work diligently to weed out people who aren't really interested or able to buy so that our list is reasonably pure. If I did not stay so focused on thinning the list we'd have well over 100 people on it versus the 65 that are currently on it. 95% of those on it live within 20 miles of us. It is not some nationwide wish list for perfect strangers, but a "short" list of some of our best customers who truly want this car and want to buy from us specifically because of our past dealings with them. Sure, the other 1/2 are people we don't know, so it's hard to know how serious they are, but even if none of that group was sincere, we would still have WAY more people interested in the GT500 than we'll ever have cars to offer.

 

Some of our customers are on multiple lists. Heck, I've encouraged them to do so because we're sold out and I want to see everyone who wants one get a shot at getting one. However, those on multiple lists keep coming back to us when they get quoted monsterous ADM's at the other dealers. Yeah, our $10K ADM may sound bad to some of you, but put it in perspective. Our local economy is booming, lots of people with lots of cash around here. Lots of people buying $500K to $1 Million dollar houses all around our community. At $10K over, we are the least expensive Shelby dealer in our geographical area that I know of. Next cheapest just collected $12K over from a friend of a friend of mine. Of our customers that have defected to other local dealers, they have confessed to me that they paid a lot more ($20K to $25K is the typical range), but they felt is was worth it to be guaranteed a car now versus waiting, hoping, stressing, and maybe never getting one. Time is money for a lot of people.

 

We have a large number of people on our list who have resigned themselves to waiting for a 2008 GT500. Some to hold out for a lower ADM, some just in the hopes of even getting a GT500 at any price, and many for both reasons.

 

Will there be ADM's on 2008 GT500's or will there be extra Shelby's gathering dust on dealers' lots with big rebates? Who knows. Is owning a Shelby vehicle a passing fad that will die down soon? Or is the Shelby mystique and legacy strong enough to endure over time and cause people to pay more money than common sense dictates?

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Check out this little slip of paper I found on a GT500 at a dealership (TODAY).

post-4599-1154824228_thumb.jpg

 

 

I'm a died-in-the-wool Ford fan, but I can't help but wonder what the ADM on that GT500 will be when GM announces the Camaro with the LS9 or their plans for the 900HP 8.3L motor they're reportedly presently developing. And what about when Ford announces the target car for the Hurricane 5.8 and 6.2 next year which are reportedly proceeding full-speed ahead? Camaro LS9? - 8.3L 900HP Engine?

 

GT500s will be $500 over invoice with factory rebates the winter after the above events unfold -- if not UNDER invoice with factory rebates.

 

If you want one at a good price, just wait -- no lists required, IMHO :)

 

.

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B)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Aug 5 2006, 03:06 PM) 32864[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->

I've had more than a few guys (and gals) come in asking about the GT500 who have rough credit, no money down, owe too much on their Hyundai/Kia/Yugo/whatever, and want a GT500 for $300/month. Can't interest them in a $20K Mustang V6 as the GT500 is their dream car! If you weed out those guys, there should be more than enough GT500's for those who are willing and able to spend MSRP (or more in the case of ADM's).

 

Wow, that's funny Five Oh. It always amazes me about those types of people. They probably said things behind your back after leaving about how your dealership treats them like low class citizens, when in reality it's simply their own lack of credit/funding that's the issue. In some cases sales people (in any field, not just cars) try to sell "up" the customer, but in this case you were trying to sell them "down". That's admirable (and good business)...helping them to find what the banks will loan them money on. It's just unfortunate that 80-90% of today's citizens don't even know what their FICO score is (taken from an old Money magazine article)....nor do they care until it stops them from getting something they want.

 

Dave

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B)-->

QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Aug 5 2006, 03:06 PM) 32864[/snapback]

We have 40+ customers on our GT500 who are insistent that they will not a penny over MSRP and are willing to wait to avoid ADM's. That's cool; maybe someday we will get enough GT500's so that MSRP is the correct market price in our area - maybe. However, we still have 24 customers willing to pay the $10K ADM we have on our 2007's, but we only get 5 cars for 2007 so it'll be a long time before we ever get to the MSRP crowd.

 

Rick, just because we're charging an ADM doesn't mean that we are not a reputable dealer. We've been offered much more than $10K over MSRP from quite a few guys wishing to secure a GT500, but we stuck with $10K over as it appears to be the right money that pleases more than enough customers while offending as few as possible.

 

Five Oh, I should have clarified the note I put in there about how quickly

a buyer wants a GT500. If you want the car right now and did not negotiate

the deal along time ago there is no way a dealer can sell at MSRP. It is like

any other business you keep competitive with other dealers and try to

be as fair as possible.

The problem I have seen in a few cases the dealer has made the MSRP

deal for the customer and then they turned around and sold for 15-20K

and pocketed the money. That is the thing most people forget is the

factor the dealer must face.

I paid over MSRP and I don't mind because I will get the car in a

couple weeks.

Most all Indianapolis dealers are getting 15-25K over MSRP and a

few were over 30K so your number is very much in line. Rick

 

 

5.4 Shelby, while Ford would step up production of 2007 GT500's if they could, they can't due to vendor constraints. 9K units is about maxed out. 2008 is a whole different story, as they could have bigger commitments from vendors by then.

 

Ultimately, I still believe that everyone who wants a Shelby GT500 will be able to get one eventually during the 2-year production run if they are patient enough and truly able to afford one. I throw in that last piece about being able to afford one as there are plenty of guys who want this car who simply cannot afford to buy a $43K vehicle - even without ADM's - yet they insist on being on GT500 lists and talking big like they're gonna get a car (that's beyond their means). I'm all for dreaming, but a reality check is in order for some people. I've had more than a few guys (and gals) come in asking about the GT500 who have rough credit, no money down, owe too much on their Hyundai/Kia/Yugo/whatever, and want a GT500 for $300/month. Can't interest them in a $20K Mustang V6 as the GT500 is their dream car! If you weed out those guys, there should be more than enough GT500's for those who are willing and able to spend MSRP (or more in the case of ADM's).

 

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Wow, that's funny Five Oh. It always amazes me about those types of people. They probably said things behind your back after leaving about how your dealership treats them like low class citizens, when in reality it's simply their own lack of credit/funding that's the issue. In some cases sales people (in any field, not just cars) try to sell "up" the customer, but in this case you were trying to sell them "down". That's admirable (and good business)...helping them to find what the banks will loan them money on. It's just unfortunate that 80-90% of today's citizens don't even know what their FICO score is (taken from an old Money magazine article)....nor do they care until it stops them from getting something they want.

 

Dave

 

Dave, at last count, we have actually sold about 5 customers on our GT500 some other kind of car. Two bought 07 California Specials, one a Mustang GT, one ordered a Mustang V6 Convertible instead, and the other was a truck I think he may have bought a pair of trucks). Several others on the list are actively pursuing other vehicles with us currently (for the wife, kids, etc). So, even though we only have 5 GT500's to sell, we actually have at least 10 sales off the list and the number keeps growing. Kinda goes back to that Halo effect for specialty cars like the GT and GT500.

 

The customers with horrible credit that we talk to are always given some sort of way to buy something with us. Often it means switching them down to something the bank will approve (such as the aformentioned V6 Mustang), or even easier is a new Focus or Ranger as Ford has special programs to help customers buy these. Sometimes it just means lots of cash down (20-50% down), or if their credit is so bad that the banks won't approve them for anything, then we ask for 100% cash down.

 

Luckily, the 5 guys we ordered GT500's for don't have to worry about FICO scores. The first guy picked up his GT500 last Friday and simply wrote a check for the whole amount. I can only think of one our five that will be financing, and he's financed/leased a lot of cars here so it won't be an issue.

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B)-->

QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Aug 7 2006, 12:20 PM) 33322[/snapback]

Dave, at last count, we have actually sold about 5 customers on our GT500 some other kind of car. Two bought 07 California Specials, one a Mustang GT, one ordered a Mustang V6 Convertible instead, and the other was a truck I think he may have bought a pair of trucks). Several others on the list are actively pursuing other vehicles with us currently (for the wife, kids, etc). So, even though we only have 5 GT500's to sell, we actually have at least 10 sales off the list and the number keeps growing. Kinda goes back to that Halo effect for specialty cars like the GT and GT500.

 

 

FiveOh, this paragraph should be posted in Ford's dealership newsletter under: the real reason why it's better to treat your customers with respect. It amazes me how many dealers don't get the bigger picture when your comments should be obvious to them.

 

I'm curious: do you think other dealers we've heard of that use questionable practices to make a sale think that it really won't affect their ealership in the future? It's like they never heard the adage: treat a customer right and they'll tell 5 others; treat a customer wrong and they'll tell 50 others. Or maybe they feel this car is special because enthusiasts clearly aren't 'normal' customers (ahem ...a little humor there)?

 

Also, I'm curious whether some of the 'bad' practices we've heard about are more prevalent in large cities or suburbia or rural areas, or is it more just the dealership takes the personality of the people running it. I guess that's a rhetorical Q since you probably wonder too, but I'd sure be interested if there's some pattern. Maybe when more of us have gotten our rides, we can get some insight in a survey... just thinking out loud, I guess.

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B)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Aug 7 2006, 12:20 PM) 33322[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->

 

Also, I'm curious whether some of the 'bad' practices we've heard about are more prevalent in large cities or suburbia or rural areas, or is it more just the dealership takes the personality of the people running it. I guess that's a rhetorical Q since you probably wonder too, but I'd sure be interested if there's some pattern. Maybe when more of us have gotten our rides, we can get some insight in a survey... just thinking out loud, I guess.

 

 

In my search for a car, I spoke with folks at many dealerships...and I didn't find any pattern with respect to urban/suburban/rural. Nothing "scientific" about it, just my experience FWIW.

 

I can say that the single best dealership I've run across is a large suburban dealer. I'm probably out of the running for one of their '07s, but I still get a call every two weeks or so to keep me "up to date" on the status of their GT500 orders and the list that they're maintaining. The sales guy also sent me a copy of the Frontline magazine with the GT500 on the cover...out of the blue...with a nice note saying he thought I'd enjoy the magazine.

 

I expect that I'll buy my next truck or SUV from this guy.

 

My guess is that dealerships are like any other small business: they typically reflect the personality of the owner.

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I can say that the single best dealership I've run across is a large suburban dealer.

 

My guess is that dealerships are like any other small business: they typically reflect the personality of the owner.

 

Yep. Leadership starts from the top. If the owner/GM/SalesMgr etc. don't care about the customer beyond making the sale and getting the $$, you can bet that no salesperson or tech back in the shop will.

 

It's proven - make the customer #1 and success WILL follow! Make profits #1 and success will be short.

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If you don't mind being a second owner, there will be plenty of the GT500s on the used market in a year or so. Payments, insurance, $5-a-gallon premium fuel (it's on its way to $5 with the Alaskian pipeline down), etc. etc. Do an ebay or autotrader search for 03 & 04 Cobras....

 

Lots of eager new owners will be forced to have the GT500 as their prime daily driver, and that won't work for lots of people who are on the financial edge. Right now there is a glut of 05-06 GT Mustangs in the classified ads, and I think for the same reason as outlined above.

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QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Aug 7 2006, 12:20 PM) 33322[/snapback]

Dave, at last count, we have actually sold about 5 customers on our GT500 some other kind of car. Two bought 07 California Specials, one a Mustang GT, one ordered a Mustang V6 Convertible instead, and the other was a truck I think he may have bought a pair of trucks). Several others on the list are actively pursuing other vehicles with us currently (for the wife, kids, etc). So, even though we only have 5 GT500's to sell, we actually have at least 10 sales off the list and the number keeps growing. Kinda goes back to that Halo effect for specialty cars like the GT and GT500.

 

The customers with horrible credit that we talk to are always given some sort of way to buy something with us. Often it means switching them down to something the bank will approve (such as the aformentioned V6 Mustang), or even easier is a new Focus or Ranger as Ford has special programs to help customers buy these. Sometimes it just means lots of cash down (20-50% down), or if their credit is so bad that the banks won't approve them for anything, then we ask for 100% cash down.

 

Luckily, the 5 guys we ordered GT500's for don't have to worry about FICO scores. The first guy picked up his GT500 last Friday and simply wrote a check for the whole amount. I can only think of one our five that will be financing, and he's financed/leased a lot of cars here so it won't be an issue.

 

All very interesting Five Oh, thanks for more detail. I know what you mean...when I bought my Honda CRV, the finance guy said "If I can't get you a good rate on a loan, I need to find a new job." My FICO score is 812. I had the cash to pay for it, but when he offered zero interest for 2 years, I asked him how much I could borrow. He said "as much as you want". I said how about $1 million? He said, "well, up to the price of the car." :hysterical: I borrowed every single cent, put my cash in a money market fund earning 3.5% (at the time it was the best rate I could find), and had it set up on ACH transfer...paid off in two years and still had $850 in interest in the account. That $850 was a good start on GT500 savings.

 

If I lived in your part of the country, I'd be up to see you when I needed a vehicle...although not on the GT500...I was lucky enough to get mine at MSRP....if it ever gets here. :rant:

 

Dave

 

$5-a-gallon premium fuel (it's on its way to $5 with the Alaskian pipeline down), etc. etc.

The story I saw on the news today said the Alaskan pipeline issue would cause only about a 5 cent increase in gas prices. I guess we'll see in the next few weeks.

 

Dave

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