Ford's "Way Forward" to leave behind GT, Sport Trac Adrenaline, and Lincoln LS
Ford’s race to find The Way Forward will take the green flag for wont of a pace car. Ford informed employees earlier this week that as part of its restructuring plan, the GT supercar will be euthanized. With the announcement that the automaker will shutter its Wixom birthplace, the handwriting had been on the wall for the gorgeous LeMans throwback once dubbed “The Pace Car For An Entire Company.”
Ford spokesman Jim McCain maintains that the car isn’t being cancelled, instead offering that the GT has “just run its race,” noting that Dearborn was only ever planning a two-year run. And while the end of the road for the GT likely won’t have much of an impact on the company’s coffers (it is unclear whether the small-volume brawler ever made money), it does call into question the future of various spinoffs floated in recent years, like the bewitching Shelby GR-1. It, along with the questionably-received Shelby Roadster had been exhibited on the auto show circuit as possible ways to amortize the cost of the GT’s tooling, while continuing to give the manufacturer a “halo car.”
Also failing to make the cut, Lincoln’s LS, the would-be 3-Series fighter that came out of the gate strong but never managed to find the entry-level luxury ‘sweet spot;’ and the planned SVT-fettled Sport Trac Adrenaline. The former was expected (as it had been left to wither on the vine with no replacement in sight), particularly in light of the Ford Fusion-based Zephyr and pending MKS. The latter stillborn “high performance sport utility truck” likely wouldn’t have been a volume player, but had the makings of an interesting proposition regardless.
[Source: The Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Ken Hoffman 11:13AM (3/22/2006)
No Sport Trac Adrenaline? What a horrendous mistake. Since hearing about this truck a year ago I felt what a perfect machine. Sports car capability, pickup utility, family capacity, all-wheel drive, great looks, all in a lighter-weight package. Get with it Ford, this is what America is looking for! If SVT must go, so be it, put this truck on the regular production line and watch it sell. The regular production sport trac hardly gets my attention.
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nastinupe 10:55AM (2/03/2006)
This is no suprise to me. Its just like stupid American car companies to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a car that is only sold to a few and only out for 2 years. Acura's NSX was out from 1991 to 2005. That's 15 model years.
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laserwizard 10:59AM (2/03/2006)
My GT ate your NSX for lunch.
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Corey W. 11:08AM (2/03/2006)
Sorry to see the GT go. I think it would have done better if Ford priced it closer to the Corvette. Maybe even a lower base or open top model... Just think it could have had a longer stretch. With such a short production, what was the point of the car?
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pagluy 11:10AM (2/03/2006)
I am sad to see the LS go.
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dejal 11:20AM (2/03/2006)
#2. Was that before or after the GTs' suspension issues?
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Shifty 11:24AM (2/03/2006)
well unless you have a hold of ford financial books i doubt you know how much they spent/made on the GT.
also, i know when i was first reading articles about it they mentioned it would only be made for a few years as it would not meet new safety requirements for i think 2007.
And the NSX is nothing compared to the GT.
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Rene Curry 11:26AM (2/03/2006)
My biggest disappointment is Ford never did anything to improve the Lincoln LS. It was a great car. It just needed the Mustang engine and styling improvements. It could have been a real Euro fighter. But instead they brought it out and just let it die. I think they did that so the car would not compete against the Premier group cars.
It seems their latest front driver Lincolns are selling well for being just being a fancy '6' platform car. I guess the bean counters won that one.
It shows that styling sells.
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gadgetomnia 11:32AM (2/03/2006)
Have to agree that even though these cars were beautiful and sexy, the economic model for a struggling mass volume company making such a beast was nonsensical. They could only be bought by a very few multi-millionaires indulging themselves on their next investment strategy. Lets face it, Ford is not Ferrari.
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djSyndrome 11:33AM (2/03/2006)
"My GT ate your NSX for lunch."
Not even in the same demographic. The GT is nearly double the price of the Ford.
Of course, some would argue that the Acura was produced well beyond its sell-by date, but that's another matter entirely.
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gadgetomnia 11:33AM (2/03/2006)
Have to agree that even though these cars were beautiful and sexy, the economic model for a struggling mass volume company making such a beast was nonsensical. They could only be bought by a very few multi-millionaires indulging themselves on their next investment strategy. Lets face it, Ford is not Ferrari.
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naugahyde 11:39AM (2/03/2006)
Ford should let some small volume maker like Saleen keep producing the GT.
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Mike O. 12:00PM (2/03/2006)
2. Was that before or after the GTs' suspension issues?
What issues? From my understanding, the "issues" only occured on one of the Ford prototypes and Ford played it safe by replacing all of the the A-arms on every Ford GT produced. It's not fair to act like every Ford GT has had suspension problems because that's just not the case.
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carzzzzzz 12:02PM (2/03/2006)
It is a shame Ford couldn't mass-produce the GT and sell if for the price of a new Vette. Or even a tamed down version.
They'd be able to sell as many as they could crank out.
Oh well.
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900hp 12:05PM (2/03/2006)
I realize that it's a display of fiscal responsibility to Wall Street to cancel the GT, but it's also a display of failure to people who enjoy and buy cars. What does it say when you do away with your fastest, most ambitious, most glamorous statement of your capabilities as a company? It can't have lost them THAT much money. It's the union payroll and pensions that's burying them.
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djSyndrome 12:05PM (2/03/2006)
"Not even in the same demographic. The GT is nearly double the price of the Ford"
Whoops, I meant to say 'double the price of the Acura'.
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JIm 12:09PM (2/03/2006)
After two years the original Corvette was almost CNX becaue of poor sales. Ford brought out the T-Bird and Chevy stayed in the game. The Corvette is now an American icon. Ford needs to build an icon, be it the GT or another model, but it can't be done in one or two years. They will never get there with a short term view.
Autoblog notes Ford's intro of the Lincolns LS, the "would-be 3-Series fighter." BMW didn't wake up one morning and say they were going to build the 3-series. It has been in development for years. But out of the blue Ford says, we've got an American 3-Series and expects the consumer to say okay, I'll sell my BMW and buy a Lincoln. Caddy did the same with the Allante, a 2-place SL fighter, even going so far as to guarantee resale value. The SL has built it's place in the market since the mid-50s and as recent repair issues demonstrate, those years can quickly be called into question.
It takes a long term view and committment to that view, with constant improvement and updating.
I'm dumbfounded Ford and GM continually bring out new models, call them the greatest thing ever; real BMW/MB/whatever fighters, wonder why people don't flock to them, then they are CNX a few years later. This just doesn't seem that hard to understand.
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.josh. 12:33PM (2/03/2006)
We all knew the GT wasn't going to make it into 2007 due to changes in safety laws.
However it is sad to see the LS go... Actually as a couple people have pointed out, it was sad to see the LS go. Since the car has been pretty much a lame duck for the past couple years as Ford has negelected it.
As for the Adrenline Sport-Trac, that is my biggest dissapointment. My dad (who works for Ford) was looking at purchasing one, as was I, and we had another 3 or 4 people very interested in the vehicle. Now those people will have to at the Germans for a performance SUV. My dad will find another Ford product to be interested in, and I will be dissapointed once again in Ford... at least they own Mazda and Volvo.
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Steve S 1:00PM (2/03/2006)
Ford or DCX needs to make something like an WRX Sti. 4 door, AWD (good AWD) turbo-charged pocket rocket for about 30ish. I love affordable, practical speed.
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Daniel Salmon 1:25PM (2/03/2006)
Ford motor needs to build vehicles that people will buy!!! The genius that wants to inflict his/her own ideas on the buyer and expects us to pay for it is lacking a brain. The money spent on this project could have been spent on better quality,feasiblity and practicality for the consumer. This would reach out to everyone. The car should have remained a concept car and if they wanted a sports car reallocate funds for a better mustang or hot family movers ( suv,mini van ).
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