Dodge Challengers on lots

[V8-X]

Okay so I was driving to my father in laws house last night when I passed a Dodge dealer. There on the front row, amongst all the Ram pickups sat a black Challenger. So when exactly did these hit dealer showrooms? Who's thinking about going out to get one? I know they look a lot better than the '09 Camaros.

 

Here's the dealer link, they have 46 images of the this Challenger on their site and are asking $61,035. Little rich for my blood. It's an SRT8 model with the 6.1 Hemi, 5spd auto and leather, but the drivers seat already looks a little worn.

 

http://www.northglenndodge.com/

 

EDIT: Oh and the interior looks really cheap and slapped together.

Edited July 2, 2008 by V8-X

[Moby Vic]

I thought you were saying they were on the ABC show Lost. I was wondering how they would work that in.

[V8-X]

I thought you were saying they were on the ABC show Lost. I was wondering how they would work that in.

 

Yeah, sorry. Typical one on my typos, meant to say "Lots" not "Lost".

 

Oh well, guess I need to read over my posts better from here on out.

[papilgee4evaeva]

61 grand?

 

If THAT'S not ADM, I don't know what is.

[694doorbird]

61 grand?

 

If THAT'S not ADM, I don't know what is.

 

Remember, the firat ones this year are going to those with extra cash to burn and the collectors.

Ford allowed the dealers to sell the '02 Thunderbirds way over sticker price also. I do believe the Shelby mustangs also sold to the highest "bidders".

 

If the public wants to pay way to much for a car, let them. I'll just wait until they come down in price.

 

I've also heard that the interiors of the Challengers wasn't up to par.

[papilgee4evaeva]

Remember, the firat ones this year are going to those with extra cash to burn and the collectors.

Ford allowed the dealers to sell the '02 Thunderbirds way over sticker price also. I do believe the Shelby mustangs also sold to the highest "bidders".

 

If the public wants to pay way to much for a car, let them. I'll just wait until they come down in price.

 

I've also heard that the interiors of the Challengers wasn't up to par.

 

I hear what you're saying. Still crazy though.

 

The Challenger and Charger basically have the same interior (minus a couple of small parts, I think).

[NickF1011]

Saw a black Challenger SRT-8 on RT 50 here in Annapolis on Thursday. Had some pretty striking road presence, for sure.

[bifs66]

Saw a black Challenger SRT-8 on RT 50 here in Annapolis on Thursday. Had some pretty striking road presence, for sure.

 

That may have been the same black one that came to the Marley Station (Lost In The Fifties sponsored) cruise last night. I've seen an orange one at Tate Dodge, and the black one last night. The orange one carried a 55K price; and I didn't ask the owner what he paid for his. I thought the interior was OK; and miles ahead of the pictures I've seen of the Camaro's interior, particularly the dash/instrumentation.

[old_fairmont_wagon]

Saw my first one on the street on Thursday on Vets Memorial Blvd. at a light. I approached it from the rear and was struck by its apparent size and the "presence" of the design. It was a black/black model. Very attractive in person and there's no mistaking what it is. The driver was a late middle aged blonde with some very apparnt plastic surgery and overdone hair.

 

I just looked longingly over at it, then drove off in my 6 year old minivan, accelerating slowly to keep from using too much gas as I tried to remember the exact moment when my testicals were stollen.

[Pioneer]

The steering wheel and instrument cluster looks like they picked it straight out of the Chrysler parts bin. Cheap.

 

Other than that, it's a nice looking car. I think only an insane person would pay $61k for it tho.

[White99GT]

I saw my first Challenger on the road yesterday, a silver SRT-8 with black stripes.

 

I didn't like the car's looks as much as I thought I would; it seemed very ordinary to me. The sides lack any real detailing, and they don't tuck in at the bottom like the original Challengers.

 

In profile from a distance my first thought was new Camaro, then I realized it was the Challenger.

 

I dare say the new Challenger looks better in pics.

[akirby]

Ford allowed the dealers to sell the '02 Thunderbirds way over sticker price also. I do believe the Shelby mustangs also sold to the highest "bidders".

 

Wrong. The auto mfrs have NO control over what dealers charge for vehicles. None. Zip. Zilch.

[694doorbird]

Wrong. The auto mfrs have NO control over what dealers charge for vehicles. None. Zip. Zilch.

True, but I feel that there should be a limit to the mark-up. Personally, I feel that Ford did what they wanted to do. That is to create another collectors item.

[Moby Vic]

There was not much demand for the new Thunderbirds. That's why they went out of production. Ford doesn't make any money on dealer markup, and they don't make any money on cars they can't sell.

[akirby]

True, but I feel that there should be a limit to the mark-up. Personally, I feel that Ford did what they wanted to do. That is to create another collectors item.

 

So if you were Ford what would you do, exactly?

[NickF1011]

Wrong. The auto mfrs have NO control over what dealers charge for vehicles. None. Zip. Zilch.

 

Well, not directly. But they have other things they can do indirectly to influence it. They can refuse (at least in some cases) future vehicle orders to the dealer, for example. They can generally make life more difficult for the dealer if they don't play along.

[694doorbird]

So if you were Ford what would you do, exactly?

I would try to somewhat control how much dealers mark up a vehicle just for their pure profit. On the other hand, if someone is willing to pay $60,000 for a $35-40,000 vehicle then let them.

 

If the '02 -05 T-birds sold for a reasonable price, would they still be in production?

Was it Fords intension to only build them for a few years and then let the car die?

Was it bad timing to bring out a 2 seat car?

[Drake]

Saw a black one here in the Sam's Club parking lot right next to a new GT-500, also black. Should have snapped a pic.

[Deanh]

Well, not directly. But they have other things they can do indirectly to influence it. They can refuse (at least in some cases) future vehicle orders to the dealer, for example. They can generally make life more difficult for the dealer if they don't play along.

then they ( manufacturers ) should also be held accountable for the fact that dealers feel the need to paste on addendums due to the LACK of markup from the get go ( approx 3700 ) on limited production halos, to me that indictaes Ford does NOT give a rats about their dealer base at all ....10k should be a MINIMUM IMO....and for that reason i really cannot blame ( and I am NOT a proponent of ADM's ...lets get THAT straight ) dealers for tacking on amounts that should be there in the first place...back on subject...could the timing for a 6.1 l behemouth be ANY worse?????????????

[694doorbird]

I think it bad timing for the 6.1's. With that being said, the folks at a charger forum, won't give up their 6.1's for anything. Except for a 6.1 challenger.

[Deanh]

I think it bad timing for the 6.1's. With that being said, the folks at a charger forum, won't give up their 6.1's for anything. Except for a 6.1 challenger.

great...the power will quickly lose its novelty upon receipt of the Chevron bill....and beleive me...half if not 90% of the guys posting the 6.1's accolades will NEVER own one, let alone drive one....

[White99GT]

I haven't been overly impressed with the performance I have seen out of the 6.1s. Although that probably has more to do with mass of the vehicles they are installed in.

[suv_guy_19]

I haven't been overly impressed with the performance I have seen out of the 6.1s. Although that probably has more to do with mass of the vehicles they are installed in.

 

 

This one is pretty impressive, IMO.

[akirby]

Well, not directly. But they have other things they can do indirectly to influence it. They can refuse (at least in some cases) future vehicle orders to the dealer, for example. They can generally make life more difficult for the dealer if they don't play along.

 

Are you sure about that? I don't think they can arbitrarily cut dealer allocations. When they tried something similar with the Blue Oval Certified program several years ago where the certified dealers got a bigger holdback they were sued by North Carolina dealers and had to back off.

 

I asked the VP of marketing for Lincoln back in 1999 why they didn't just require that every Lincoln dealer stock a manual transmission LS for potential buyers to test drive and he told me that he didn't want to go to jail. Don't underestimate the power of the dealers. I wish it wasn't that way, but I don't see a way around it unless the politicians are willing to change the laws. And there is probably too much campaign support from the big auto dealers to let that happen.

[akirby]

I would try to somewhat control how much dealers mark up a vehicle just for their pure profit. On the other hand, if someone is willing to pay $60,000 for a $35-40,000 vehicle then let them.

 

That's an oxymoron - control markups but a $20K markup on a $40K vehicle is ok?

 

Once again - it is ILLEGAL in most, if not all, states for Ford to control how much a dealership charges. All Ford can control is the MSRP and the dealer invoice price. Any attempt by Ford to control that would be met with a lawsuit so fast your head would spin. And the dealers would win.

 

Sad but true.