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Detroit Coverage
Ford Thunderbird Roadster
Pursuing the retro look even further, Ford have released the Thunderbird Roadster concept at the Detroit show. As they launch the main reincarnation of the Thunderbird, the Roadster concept is unveiled to further excite enthusiasts and customers in a market already heavily occupied by other manufacturers. The Thunderbird draws on a sizeable heritage and already established brand and Ford certainly believe this is a very marketable quality.
"Thunderbird is one of the most time-honoured icons in automotive history," says J Mays, Ford Vice President of Design. "There's a strong emotional connection to the early Thunderbirds. The new Thunderbird concept has rekindled those emotions."
The new Thunderbird and the Roadster concept share obvious visual characteristics with the original sports cars of the '60s but possibly not the same values. Simply reverting to the past for styling cues may leave the Thunderbird looking a little shallow in comparison to its competition. It may look different to the cars it competes with; but as a result of looking to the past, not as a result of looking to the future.
There is little doubt that Ford will sell the Thunderbird successfully but will it primarily be the result of nostalgia sales? To many, the new Thunderbird is a reinterpretation of a classic that will grab the attention of onlookers as it passes by the bland saloons and MPVs. To others, the new Thunderbird and Ford's interest with the past will be nothing more than a cynical marketing tactic; perhaps with this retro Thunderbird, an opportunity to create a new, genuine classic has been missed. |
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