Basically it boils down to that it costs more to make a variety of something than to make fewer variety. You look at what sells the fewest, and drop it.

Example, few people buy manual roll down windows. But say it costs just as much to engineer a manual roll down window as it does to set up an electric one. They might not lose money per-se on selling a rolldown window over a power window, but they can standardize by installing power windows on everything.

Power windows would be cheaper in they don't need to engineer 2 different window systems, and because cost is spread out over more vehicles.

I don't agree with it & don't like it and feel it should stop because to me it's simply too miserly and silly, but I'll conceed there's a logic to it.

 

Was this because this is what people wanted, or because it is what dealers stocked??? Dealers make more money on the loaded to the gills models...

 

To me a stripper would be cheaper, lighter and thus faster.

 

That's what gets me...if everyone stops, then each company loses say 1% or sales. But after all the companies do it, then there is a void and a company like Scion comes along where you can customize/taylor your vehicle before it leave the lot.

 

You can't really "customize" a SCION that much unless you mean accesory add ons. I.E. you can't order them with manual windows and lots of powertrain options.

 

Then it evolved into a mild stripper model.
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/24/s...ed-for-tuners/

 

Another problem with this "stripper" car is that modern safety regulations mean a lot of the weight increase is built into the platform... Even if you started deleting options you aren't going to save that much weight, unless you're going to start engineering leightweight components, which will be even more money.

 

Believe it or not and like it or not, that's what people wanted.

 

I think part of it was that most people didn't even know the Formula existed. But I agree that part of the problem was that people who were going to move up to the Firebird from the Camaro wanted the Trans Am. Otherwise they might as well get a Z28 and save a few bucks over even the Formula.

 

Some guys that don't frequent this section have also thought of this.
http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488387