my77stang

I dunno if this is a repost but...........

Ford has done a lot to promote the Mustang nameplate in the past few years. From movie appearances to men’s fragrances, the company has done a pretty good job of keeping the popular pony car on the tip of America’s tongue.

But the company’s latest stunt is not just fluff. The folks in Dearborn have announced that they’ll only produce a limited run of the 2009 Ford Mustang, 45,000 units to be exact.

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Hmm, a special 45th anniversary present?

The move is a good one for the company and consumers. Ford can’t afford to mark down thousands of unsold ‘09s next year, and they’ve correctly gauged the shift in enthusiasm from the ‘09 after the stellar reviews the 2010 Mustang spy photos and videos are receiving.

Aside from the crazy collectors who will purchase out of sheer enthusiasm (we applaud you!), most will wait until 2010 to flock to dealerships, when the new Mustang is released.

To put things in perspective, Ford sold 130,000 Mustangs last year, so this is a significant reduction. But the company is smart to follow gut instinct instead of following market trends.

Either way, we’re excited for the years to come for the Ford Mustang.

howarmat

That is news to me.....wow such a small number!

Joolander

....yay?[&:]

wmtheflash

There are two reasons...

1) The new 2010 Mustang will be here in early 2009! Therefore, the 2009 model will have an abbreviated model year. Unless you really, really need a Mustang right now, you should probably wait for the refresh.

2) Mustang sales are slumping hard. Sales went from 165k and 164k (approximate) in 2005 and 2006 to about 130k (approximate) in 2007. Sales have been slowing quickly since late 2006, even prior to super high gas prices or the housing collapse.

Someone will have to check for me, but I think 2004 sales with the New Edge model were higher than 2007. Yikes. (The bigger question is why? Maybe someone on the board has a suggestion.)

Mustang sales were down 20% last year and down 30% so far this year. Mustang sales dropped 45% this May from last May. 2009 is shaping up to be the worst sales year since 1992. Ford will be lucky to crack 100k units.

I suppose it's a combination of issues including: model fatigue, gas prices, impending release of Camaro and arrival of Challenger, and the slow economy are all hurting sales.

I also have a feeling that the S197 with it's sharp edges wasn't as attractive to women. After all, the GT outsold the V6 in 2005 and 2006. The V6 only barely outsold the GT last year. That's telling!

http://www.mustangblog.com/index.php...ures-released/

moosestang

Part of the reason for poorer sales is all the used ones available. In 2005 and even early 2006, you'd be lucky to find a used one for cheap.

cobra443

IMO Ford has need to lower the #'s for some time. They were selling way to many and now people dont want something everyone else has. They should lower the # of V8's sold. They need to limit these cars. I understand they want to make as much money as possible but in the long run it hurts them. Also with all the new cars out people are going elsewhere. There are v-6 four door cars that are just as powerful and get better gas mileage. The demand for v-8 cars is dropping across the board. Just throwing in my .2...

LS1less

45,000, does this include V6, V8, HO V8?

wmtheflash

They are NOT making it a limited production model. They are shortening the model year. I think the 2010 Mustang will be here are early as February 2009 (don't quote me, I read that on the internet somewhere).

It's more exact to say an abbreviated model years is limiting production, which Ford has set to 45k.

Ford isn't reducing production because they want to make the car more exclusive. They are limiting production both because of demand (Mustangs aren't selling) and a shorter model year. Decrease demand is bad for us!

With the way these cars are selling you're going to see deep discounting and rebates. Used V8's are already dropping in value. I shutter to think what my 2006 GT is worth, even with only 9,000 miles.

Dodge and Chevy are in big trouble as far as I'm concerned. Sure, the first year will be great, but what about after that?

Ford has a head start, the econonmy stinks, and gas is probably going to be $5 a gallon. That's not a good time to be introducing a modern muscle car.

blueherd02gt

Look, the world as we know it has changed tremendously. Pay attention to the highways..Notice the trucks with "Canada" and "Mexico" written on the front and back of them... We are the first nation to implement the "new world order" previous presidents were so fond of.. Now my point, our beloved brand will be taken over by Euro backed corporations similar to the looming "Budweiser" deal. The automakers were somewhat warned by the Daimler Chrysler deal 8 years ago. These is Ford's futile efforts to delay the inevitable, a weak American dollar will entice Euro backed corporations to absorb these companies due to global captiatlism...

Humboldt Stang

They're doing it for one simple reason:
45th anniversary
45k units.
It's just marketing.