No, it's not headed for production (far as I know). But it came as close to production as anything imaginable.


Ford wanted a car to symbolize it's 100th anniversary. The Ford FortyNine was the obvious choice (even after Jac Nasser was "retired"). It was cost effective to make, it was going to make a profit, and it was going to be a "volume" car. Nick Schele (Ford's Chief operations officer) had already decided to produce the car, and the presentation was to be done in a number of days.

J. Mays had no problem with this, nor did a few other Ford people, but the enthusiasm was around the Ford GT. Mays either created or participated in a little scheme to change Nick Schele's mind. Mays walked Schele to his car in the executive garage at the end of a workday, and a small group surprised Schele with a realistic fiberglass mock up of the GT, complete with working lights, parked by itself by the elevator where they got out.

And so, a few days later, it was the GT that was presented.

It was approved on condition money was found..... Ford failed to fund the car!

J. Mays contributed money from his auto show budget, and all the other Ford divisions pitched in, including Ford's lab that was working on wider uses for alumunum.

The other thing was that Bill Ford wanted the car in just 15 months, in time for the 100th! in case you were wondering, yes the FortyNine would have also been done on a mind boggling, blistering schedule, most likely less than 18 months! (...but most all it's parts would have been "off the shelf", like the Thunderbird was).

There have been various efforts to get the FortyNine into production, including a proposal to base the next Thunderbird on the FortyNine's bodywork (easy to see how the grille could be made into a Thunderbird).

Bottom line is that FortyNine came to within a whisker of production. But much like how the Plymouth Prowler killed the chance of a production Dodge Venom ponycar, the GT killed the chance of the Ford FortyNine.

All because of a last minute parking lot stunt.

 

Another great story Guy.
Btw go more into this venom/prowler thing.

Oughta make this a weekly thing. I like to hear insiders stories on cars

 

Was a beautiful looking concept.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Maybe a little too retro but still cool.

 

I would rather have had a real car than a toy.

I'm all for halo vehicles, but what did Ford really have to gain from the GT? The Forty Nine could have been a 300-like success for FoMoCo. Instead, we're stuck with a race car to read about in car magazines.

 

speaking of "toys," I have the Auto Art model of this vehicle. I had no idea that it was THAT close to production, though.

 

How far out is the next T-bird? Will it be a personal luxury coupe again like the MN-12's? Will it be retro like the Forty Nine? D2C based?

 

Ford's product to production path is alot different from GM's. GM's path is so long and torturous, and tends to involve so many people the last 2 years of development, that it's usually no secret what GM is going to bring out, only how it looks.

Ford on the other hand almost seems to have a portfolio of done vehicles in some secret files, and it's almost as if someone says "OK, what should we make next", they look at the choices, make a quick decision, and almost instantly, it seems to jump from idea to production. Almost as if most all the development work was done as part of the proposal......pretty bizzare.

A Thunderbird coupe is in the portfolio & is planned for production, and has been for awhile. In typical Ford fashion, they won't officially announce their plan to make it till it's on a display turntable, but there will be alot of background chatter to let you know. Think Mustang, Fusion, even the last Thunderbird.

The last heard target was 2007 for the 2008 model year, which would mean that Ford would have to green light by January at the absolute, postive latest.

 

i really wish that FortyNine could have got the green light instead of the GT. i think it would have made as big a splash as the new Mustang has and would have been a great car to fill the T-birds slot.


and whats this about the Prowler/Venom story. it's been awhile since i even heard anyone bring that story up. what's the behind the scenes dirt we don't know Guy???