http://www.auto.com/industry/tbird30_20030130.htm

Am I the only one who thinks that the car need more power and less retro? I mean when you take an old design and put it on a new car it just looks old that much quicker.

 

"Just say NO! to Retro!" (c) 2003, Darth Xed Industries.

 

I don't believe it's only because of retro. It's DULL and EXPENSIVE!

Right about now, I think Ford should be looking at pointing Thunderbird as a GTO competitor, since the new GTO is basically taking Ford's early 60s Thunderbird playbook (in price performance & luxury...millenium style) and running like hell with it!

 

Werd. Those wheels are horrible, too. Why pay $40k for an underpowered two seater when you can buy almost anything else and have more power?

 

I would love to see every retro car tank! I new this car would not do well for many reasons but I do honestly think it would have fared much better had it been a fresh design...........no one remembers the 50's. If the whole retro thing turns out to be a fad, Ford is in trouble.

 

I needs a 5 or 6-speed bad!

 

You can see T-birds stacked up at Ford dealers everywhere.
It's a neat car, but the performance is hardly staggering and it's impractical for everyday use.
I can't see it as anything more than a toy for an older enthusiast.
I think Ford is planning a supercharged 3.9 for it, and I've also read the SVT is considering doing a hipo version.
I dunno', I don't have any interest in these retro vehicles like the Prowler, T-bird, SSR, etc.
S.

 

So far, the T-bird is a flop. Just as I wished.The only problem I have with this is that it spells doom for retro vehicles (as we've seen so far in a few cases that are pure retro). But the new Mustang is a retro vehicle, and it worries me that the Mustang may not sell despite what focus groups say. The novelty of a retro car seems to wear off after a year. Less Mustang sales means less of a desire for GM to make a 5th gen Camaro.

 

The only thing that I could say about that car is "V. Wagon"
The front just killes me when I look at it. It should not had been a Ford, but just a VW.

 

Maybe I'm weird, but I don't consider the new Mustang retro anymore than I consider the 4th gen Camaro a retro 1977 Chevy Monza.

The new Mustang has cues of it's heritage, such as the grill and the "Mustang side scoop", but if you were to park the new Stang next to a Mini Cooper, a Beetle, a Thunderbird, or a PT Cruizer, the Mustang isn't even in the same ballpark design-wise.

Besides, it seems unnanimous that everyone on this site who has seen it at Detroit thinks the styling is fantastic..... and that's just us Camaro guys!!!

As far as the novelty of retro wearing off, it's just like any other design. If done poorly, or it comes across as too stylish it'll have a short shelf life (ie: both Ford Probe designs & probally quite a few other cars you could probally name). However, if it is a good design (ie: the new Beetle, which is on it's 6th season) is done right, it could go on for as long as any other modern design.

I like the T-bird's style, and it's still a head turner on the streets (and maybe this is just California....where the weather is still nice....but I don't see any 'stacked up on dealer's lots'). However, if I was going to spend $45,000 on a car, Thunderbird wouldn't make the top 10.

For the same price or less, I can get a nice and more exciting BMW coupe, a way more exciting Corvette, the upcomming CTSv, a Cobra, a G35, a 350Z, .....you get the idea.

I don't feel it's retro that's doing in the Bird. It's the bland styling, and so many cars at that price and lower that offer more style, value and bang for the buck.

Heck, Thunderbird even share's it's instrament panel with the Lincoln LS! Rampant costcutting is written all over that car.

 

You mention the Bettle, but as I have heard it is selling pretty slow and each year they have added something new(turbo, bigger turbo, Diesel, convertable, ect.). I don't have any numbers but I read somewhere that they are selling quite poor.

I don't see how any one can call the "new" Mustang anything but a total retro design. There are NO current styling cues. Remember that Ford was driving the Mustang to be more like the 60's cars when they restyled it in 99' and to a lesser degree in 94'. Just look at Ford's adds about those cars, they all show pictures of the older Mustangs and make no excuses for comparing them. I wonder what the commercials and ads will be like for this "new" Mustang?

 

Let's see, that would be about the 486th different configuration/market for Thunderbird over its lifespan....has there ever been a more unfocused car with such a long life as the T-bird?

 

the old t-bird sister car,mercury cougar!35 years of pony cars,muscle cars,luxury coupes,sedans,wagons,and lastly,a FWD sports coupe,whew!

 

I don't think I've actually seen one of those on the road. On the other hand, I've seen alot of H2's. Funny how that works.

 

I am sorry Guion...but retro is like ****...you know it when you see it...and the new mustang is a steamy XXX one

As for the 4th Gen looking like a 77 Monza...hell 99.98% of the buying public has no idea what one looks like..so when looking at a 4th gen most people don't think retro.

Alot of people know what an old Mustang looks like and the new Mustang picks and grabs various styling cues from the glory days of the car much like the new T-bird did....

I do however think it will be odd to see how this one pans out because the new Mustang is the first high volume car to go all out retro.

The T-bird died for a while and completly changed markets...so that don't count...