(2 of 2)
It is an old auto-industry axiom that the problem is not selling 'em, it's making 'em. The PT Cruiser is assembled in Toluca, Mexico, where about half the car parts, including the engine, are made. The Mexican plant has an eventual capacity of 180,000 cars but will only make 120,000 this year.
Even as Chrysler hurries to increase supply, another entry in the nostalgia sweepstakes is on the way. Next summer an incarnation of the classic 1955 Ford Thunderbird will appear. The Thunderbird (so named by a young Ford stylist who was rewarded with a $95 bonus and a pair of trousers from Saks Fifth Avenue) started out as a snazzy two-seater weighing 3,000 lbs. and costing $2,695. It eventually evolved into a giant sedan weighing more than 5,000 lbs. that was finally discontinued in 1997. The new model, slimmed down to roadster size and fitted with familiar curves and modern appointments, will emerge in the luxury $30,000 category.
Will car buyers love this throwback to the '50s as much as they do the New Beetle and the PT Cruiser? Here's a hint: the Dallas retailer Neiman Marcus has just offered a special edition of 200 T-Birds for sale in its 2000 Christmas catalog. When the phone lines opened in September, all 200 cars, priced at $41,999 each, were sold in 2 hrs. 15 min. That's more like a love bite than a mere peck on the cheek.