Received a message from one of the dealers yesterday morning that the GT500 is going to be shown at a local car show this weekend.

He said that he was expecting an allocation of 3-5 cars, and wanted to collect some info from me. (I had originally inquired about getting on a list back in April of '05).

The message on my machine was cutoff, so I sent him this email today, check it out:


My original email:

From: XXXXXXXX
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 7:50 AM
Subject: 2007 Shelby GT500


Hello XXXXX,

I received your message yesterday, and appreciate the call.

Unfortunately, your message cut off before I got all of the information.

You had mentioned that the car will be shown at XXXXXX this weekend. Where is that located, exactly?

You had also mentioned that you needed some info from me, but the message cutoff before I could figure out what you needed.

I look forward to your response, and again, thank you for your time.


His response:

From: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:16 AM
To: XXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Re: 2007 Shelby GT500


XXXXXXXX:

I appreciate your email. The XXXXXXXXX is this weekend at the XXXXXXXXX. The hours are 10am-10pm Friday and Saturday and 10am-8pm Sunday and Monday. The other information I need is your home address so I can keep in contact with you as more information becomes available about the shelby GT500.

Thanks

XXXXXXXX
Inventory Manager

My response:

----- Original Message -----
From: XXXXXXXXXXXX
To: XXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:19 AM
Subject: RE: 2007 Shelby GT500


XXXXXXXX,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

My address is:

XXXXXXXXXX

Home # is: XXXXXXXXX
Cell # is: XXXXXXXXX

Also, you had mentioned that you expected that you were going to be getting 3-5 cars. There have been a lot of rumors indicating that dealers in general are going to be marking this car up over MSRP. Has your dealership taken a stance on this particular issue?

Also, is there a waiting list in place, and any deposit involved?

Thanks again,

XXXXXXXXX

His response:

XXXXXXXXXXX:

Our current plans are to hold a dinner on the showroom floor for customers who are still interested in owning the car. Then each customer would turn in a sealed bid. Those bids would be opened and the highest bid would get the first car, etc, etc.

We have a list of 49 customers who have shown interest. I think there will be some who will not want to remain on the list.
We had some deposits but sent them back.

Thanks,

XXXXXXXXXX

Doesn't sound too wonderful to me.

Sorry so long.

Your thoughts?

 

Wow. This is an interesting way for them to do it. It will give them maximum profit out of it. If you don't win, at least you get a free dinner.

 

Yeah it better be a lobster dinner... I wonder if the envelopes will be opened up in front of everyone.

 

I'd go for the free dinner and bid $1.

 

In his interview Shelby said that he wanted to build a car that would be

powerful,well balanced,great brakes and affordable,He said anyone
could build a $100,000 car . He wanted to build a car for 40,000 that would be as good or better than the high dollar cars out there.

With dealers like this out there the very goal that Shelby himself set
for Ford is in jepordy . This kind of behavior is shameful and can turn
even the most loyal Ford buyer to another brand. :bang:

 

one more way to stick it to the man.

I like it.

 

Yeah, great idea. or just bid MSRP Gaurenteed to not get it either way.

 

Ya, and as you walk away with your head down and your hands in your pant pockets, mumble, "Oh darn'it shucks anyhow. I thought I'd be the one." Also, don't forget to kick some gravel on the ground.

You don't want to make it too obvious you were just there for the meal you know.

 

If anyone is really bent on owning one and are going to go through a bid, they are going to loose sooo much. It will be tracked in Kelly Blue Book and it will depreciate like any other car; if someone over bids for it; their loss.

Dont panic ... I am totally waiting; these people will pamper their cars then realize they cant afford it.

You will see enough of these cars sitting on a lot or at a consignment place with barely any miles on it and you will save bank.

I can wait ... and bid 99 cents for a dinner

 

That just annoys me. Some people are getting screwed out of their original agreement because of dealer greed.

 

I agree with others, I like that plan!! Truly a disgusting display of greed by the dealer. Now what would really be interesting would be to get EVERYONE attending to bid a $1, that would really stick it to the man!!!

 

I wish I knew all the people that would be attending

The sad thing is, there will be people that will attend this and pay a ridiculous amount of money for this car.

If this is how dealers are generally going to handle this car, the "little guy", (me), has no chance.

It disgusts me.

 

I feel your pain. Thats why i made that comment on "getting on a list for the Challenger".

My dealer told me they may only end up with one car and the owner already has dibs on it (along with his Ford GT thats parked in his garage). All i want is a fair shake at owning one. I'm in no financial shape to be "bidding" on one...i did that with my house and didn't enjoy it very much. No matter what happens, i will have something parked in my garage in the next few years whether it be the Shelby, the Challenger, a new Mach I, a Cobra Daytona Coupe by FFR, or a completely renovated '66 Fairlane. Something will occupy that empty spot in the garage.

 

Salesman told me expect to pay no less than 65. I have pretty much decided to wait it out. In the end I'd rather have a mach1 anyway...

 

You really want to stick it to that dealer? Tell a big bunch of people to "express interest in the Shelby", then have them attend that dinner/auction. Make sure there are enough people so as to erase as much of the profit margin as possible - even if the dealer was giving out hotdogs, chips, and a drink ! Or else, somehow "discourage the competition" (ahem, the method used is completely up to you) or convince them to all bid low since I didn't see any mention of a minimum starting bid amount. In the end, just go for the free food and get a little something out of it even if it means you won't get the car right away. Dealers...

 

....that just plain sucks. I would be furious if I had already made a deposit and waited on a list just to get it returned with an invite for a dinner and auction.

:bang:

 

+1,000,000,000. I like the strategy of getting all of your friends a free dinner!
Yeah, if I wasplanning on paying "Sticker", I would bid $1 over sticker, definitely. Wow. That sucks!!!
All I know, is that if my dealer pulls that crap, I'm either buying something else, or waiting for the price to drop to normal (my first choice).

 

That dealer has a whole bag of tricks.

 

You should ask them if they're a retail car dealership or an auction house. Cause I think if they're an auction house they need a separate business license for that.

The only reason dealerships get away with this excrement is because the buying public empowers them to do so. Somehow I just can't imagine a BMW or Toyota dealership pulling this kind of a stunt.

You might also want to ask yourself if you'd really want to have your car serviced by dealership that had previously polled you in the bum.

Wait till the frenzy dies down and then buy one of these at or below MSRP. You'll be glad you did. Anybody paying over MSRP for this car is an idiot, plain and simple. But hey, if you don't believe me, try a little experiment: Go buy one of these cars for, oh say $60K, then take it back to the dealership 6 months later and see what they'll give you on a trade-in.

My 2 cents.

 

Another vote for eat the free dinner, bid a buck. heck, bid 8 cents, with a note telling them to shove thier auction up their wazoo!