For an underpowered, overpriced sacrifice to the patron saint of living in the past, the latest Ford Thunderbird was a real treat. As a car people wanted to buy, however, not so much. After three years of dismal sales (only 1,500 have been purchased this year), daddy is taking the T-bird away. Ford will end the "limited production run" of the retro-themed Thunderbird by mid-year and lay off up to 200 workers, casting the fate of the company's huge Wixom plant in doubt, as well as and closing the book on a failed experiment in automotive nostalgia. One question: Will today's young car buyers will have anything of their own to be nostalgic about when they hit their peak earning years? Maybe a 2035 Ford Focus will do the trick.
Ford to Kill T-bird [The Detroit News]
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