Ford GT production ended

[Tad]

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/09/...duction-ended/

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Despite what LLN posted, the end of production had NOTHING to do with Ford's financial condition. The program was only for two years from the beginning. this has been known since the beginning of the GT program. The total build (4038) IS below the 4500 number that was often quoted although Ford never officially stated a production goal.
rick

[Jonathan S]

It was my understanding that they did not meet some crash testing standards required to go into full production. From the beginning they were not legally allowed to make more than an limited production run without major changes to the design.

Lotus is using the same limited production clause on the Elise and that is why they cannot import the Exige. If they did it would put them over the limit for their limited production clause.

[Mark Worthington]

Originally Posted by jonathans

Lotus is using the same limited production clause on the Elise and that is why they cannot import the Exige. If they did it would put them over the limit for their limited production clause.

Huh? I know several guys who have bought an Exige in the last few months.

[Jonathan S]

That is interesting. I thought I read an article about 6 months ago saying they would never be able to import the Exige and only the Elise would be available here. I guess they changed their mind or I am remembering wrong. If the original reason for not importing it was the limited production rules they could just reduce the number of Elises they import.

If I remember correctly is they do not meet the required bumper heights and a few other rules that apply to normal production cars. Remember the Lamborghini Countach with the road legal bumpers. That was one ugly modification to get a car into the states.

[Peter Jankovskis]

I saw an Exige on the road here in Lisle (a suburb of Chicago, IL) as I was driving to lunch on Thursday. Unfortunately I didn't look in my rear view to see if it actually had a license plate.

[BenL]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

Despite what LLN posted, the end of production had NOTHING to do with Ford's financial condition. The program was only for two years from the beginning. this has been known since the beginning of the GT program. The total build (4038) IS below the 4500 number that was often quoted although Ford never officially stated a production goal.
rick

I was at a Ford press conference in Dearborn the day they publically unveiled the Ford GT to the press. Back then they said the Ford GT would be in production for three years, and they'd produce 1,500 cars per year.

[Jonathan]

The Lotus Exige is legally for sale in the USA through any Lotus dealer.

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Originally Posted by BenL

I was at a Ford press conference in Dearborn the day they publically unveiled the Ford GT to the press. Back then they said the Ford GT would be in production for three years, and they'd produce 1,500 cars per year.

Yes,
They said that at first BUT I was on a dealer only video conference in early 2005 where we were told two years only and that 2006 production numbers would be announced at the end of 2005 production (November 2005) Ford never announced an official 2006 number to my knowledge and I followed all of the internal Ford/dealer communications for such a number. It was often quoted that 2007 regulations would have required a massive re-engineering of the car that was not cost effective.

Did Ford make money with the GT program? Dunno and they aren't eager to reveal the outcome. Did it build PR, awareness and halo? For sure!

Trivia fact.....the Saleen Special Vehicles facility at 1225 Maple in Troy, Michigan actually built Ford GT40s in the late 60s! Wrong you say, they were done at Slough, not in the USA. Correct, HOWEVER 1225 Maple is the former home of AMT, the model company and AMT produced a MK II GT40 model with tooling leased from IMC (Industrio Motive Corp) so while a bit of a stretch, both GT 40s AND GTs came out of the same facility!

Rick