Boomer

2003 Cobra year was LONG though too, keep that in mind.
It was a late 2002 combined with a 2003MY run

jsaylor

Fair enough, but did the Cobra ever actually make any money? We know the GT500 does, or it wouldn't still survive in Mulally's world. On the other hand the Terminator had massive rebates in it's second year on the market, they were a necessary evil so that Ford could clear out the remaining 04 models. And we've all heard the rumors suggesting that SVT never actually turned a profit and that this was part of the reason for the brand being semi-shelved for a while.

And while several folks on here want to suggest that a SVT badged version of the GT500 would have worked just as well ibn terms of sales the truth is that there is absolutely no way to prove that, and even more the numbers we have do absolutely nothing to support such a notion The actual numbers simply say that the best, SVT badged Cobra's needed large rebates to move during their second year on the market in a relatively strong economy wile the Shelby badged GT500 was still drawing ADM's at that point despite a major slide on the economy. Wherever your loyalties are found that does absolutely nothing to help the SVT Cobra's case.

Do I think that advantage is a side effect of the Shelby badging? I'm sure it didn't hurt, but to be honest I think a greater reality is that there are just too many folks out there who don't give two hoots about the SVT badge. I don't think the SVT badge hurts the cars, but I likewise think it does next to nothing to help spur sales on either.

Ultimately, none of this really matters since anybody hoping for a return of SVT as we knew it is dreaming. Questionable profitability and a hard headed maverick like Coletti in a Mulally-driven world where mavericks simply aren't tolerated? To be blunt Coletti would have been one of the first out the door had he still been around when Mullaly showed up. And if you walked into Mulally's office right now and told him the GT500 would be well served to return to a simple SVT Cobra moniker Mulally would probably ask you if you've been drinking. Mulally runs on numbers and hard evidence, not rhetoric. The SVT so many here long for is a direct contraditction to the kind of corporate culture Mulally insists upon.

SVT is obviously back, but I wouldn't hold my breath for Shelby badging to disappear from Mustang in favor of SVT Cobra badging anytime soon unless Shelby himself is the mechanism for that change.

burningman

And that is always a possiblility going off his track record.
I do agree the car is more successful with the shelby name on it and you can thank the marketers for doing that. They probably all got small bonuses with that idea.

I'm sure one day he will screw it up and Ford will dump him then those apparent "idiots" such as myself who would hapily strip the Shelby name from the car can be happy again.

Evil_Capri

Speculation is just that . . . . speculation. I think you are very wrong. I think Coletti would have been welcomed by Mulally. Mulally isn't some accountant born to rule FMC with an abacus. As you know he is more process driven than anything else. I think what hurt SVT the most (is it really "hurting?") was a lack of a succession plan after Coletti left. But no matter, what's done is done, and no one can't argue with performance . . . .

Zastava_101

I thought we were talking which car was better for us buyers, not which car was better for FoMoCo?

jsaylor

Worth noting, I never said that anybody is an idiot because of their preference, that honor belongs to another poster. In fact, outside of very specific circumstances which I think are extremely unlikely to occur I would prefer the Shelby's be left to Shelby myself, and that the GT500 we have now be badged as something else. I just am not a fan of the SVT moniker as a stand alone marketing scheme and would prefer the car not be badged an SVT Cobra if the Shelby moniker were to be removed and, if I have to choose, I'll take Shelby GT500 over SVT Cobra. IMO there are too many more storied, more visible names that could serve in the SVT Cobra monikers place. But that is just my preference and not at all what I think will happen.

I still firmly believe that Coletti's tendency to go rogue nww and then would have gotten him canned and quick unless he seriously curtailed that tendency. Most of what we know regarding SVT is speculation, but Coletti's status as a boundary pushing maverick arguably is not. In some organizations that would have served him well, in Mulally's world pushing the limits too hard puts you on the naughty list.

But as you say, what is done is done and SVT's future is in somebody elses hands now.

burningman

Yeah sorry I didn't mean to imply you said it. I should have been clearer.

I guess it can't be argued that Coletti was the right guy for the job at the time.

max2000jp

SVT at that time was working with it's hands tied. It's not a fair comparison.

If you went to Mullaly and presented him with the savings that could be associated with killing Shelby's name, I think the numbers would be in favor of that. Every Shelby sold has royalties associated with the Shelby name. In a nutshell, I feel that if they called it either name...it would sell.

max2000jp

I don't work for Alan, but for everything I see out of Ford right now.....Coletti would be a fixture. Innovation and creative thinking were Coletti's style of management. This is how Ford is operating right now under AM. Coletti created a great car (03 Cobra) out of a wet noodle late 70's chassis; impressive in my opinion.

Boomer

SVT almost sunk due to the Ford GT issues IIRC

ttgt500

No.

Also, the GT500 is the best selling SVT product ever. Hate to break it to you.

ttgt500

The GT500 has more SVT markings on it than any previous Cobra.

ttgt500

This is a red herring argument and patently false. The "Shelby name" is virtually none of the MSRP. $200 tops.

ttgt500

I have a feeling if you bought one you'd do nothing of the sort.

max2000jp

Please provide the proof. That's .0004% of the MSRP of a Shelby.....BS flag raised HIGH!

2k7gtcs

Shelby fanboy in the house.

ttgt500

Thanks for the rude insult. Actually, I couldn't care less about Shelby the man and have never had an interest in the 60's cars. I got my start with 5.0's.

I love the GT500 whether it's an SVT Cobra, a Shelby, or a Chevy Camaro. You seem to only like it if it has a certain label. That, my friend, is a fanboy.

ttgt500

Actually is roughly half a point, or .5%. Nice math.

max2000jp

200/50,000 equals .004 bud. I was wrong on adding the %, not the math.

ttgt500

No, you were wrong on the math. You wrote .004% which is incorrect math considering it is much, much higher a percentage than that.