Letter to FORD addressing ADM?

[CAL Captain]

Brilliant reply.

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[CAL Captain]

It's exactly the decision I made on my GT350. I paid a $5k ADM in the fall of 2015 and I had one of the earlier cars. Very few people had their GT350s yet. Many of the 2015s hadn't even been delivered. I had a line on a non-ADM car, but that opportunity fell through. And I was too lazy/impatient/foolish - whatever you want to call it - to continue waiting and see whether I would get another chance to buy a car. All the dealers near me had long queues of people in line waiting - longer lines than the number of allocations. Some dealers were asking over $20k ADM at that time.

For me, it was worth it. I realized the first few days after I drove the car home that when I bought it I made the right decision.

Then 8 months later when I went to the track the first time and hit limp mode, I wished I would have waited. Then when I saw the 2017 colors I also wished I had waited.

But I still do love the car and all these feelings are fleeting. Before I owned the GT350 I was switching cars on a yearly basis, because I just got too bored and wanted something different. I'm not getting that bored feeling with the GT350, even after over 3 years of ownership.

So I completely agree with and totally support your decision to pay some ADM on your Bullitt. Sometimes the car/timing is worth it.

Yep, plan to keep the car forever. If I amortize it out for the rest of the days of my life... uh, who cares?

 

[Hack]

Yep, plan to keep the car forever. If I amortize it out for the rest of the days of my life... uh, who cares?

Whether you keep it or not, it's money you spent on something for fun. There's nothing wrong with spending money on the things you really want. Really it could be considered foolish to purchase any new car - even below MSRP. If you wait 2-5 years and buy the car used it will be much cheaper.

My point being - money sunk into any car and especially a performance car is not a financially wise decision if all you are looking at is the "best" use of your money. The arguments against paying ADM are really the same as the arguments against buying ANY new car. And the same arguments can be used to say you shouldn't buy a performance car - even used. Econoboxes are much cheaper.

Don't get me started on what it costs to go to the road course.

 

[CAL Captain]

Whether you keep it or not, it's money you spent on something for fun. There's nothing wrong with spending money on the things you really want. Really it could be considered foolish to purchase any new car - even below MSRP. If you wait 2-5 years and buy the car used it will be much cheaper.

My point being - money sunk into any car and especially a performance car is not a financially wise decision if all you are looking at is the "best" use of your money. The arguments against paying ADM are really the same as the arguments against buying ANY new car. And the same arguments can be used to say you shouldn't buy a performance car - even used. Econoboxes are much cheaper.

Don't get me started on what it costs to go to the road course.

Hey, no argument from me, I'm completely with you on this. It's my/your money, do with it as you please. If you want to take the equivalent ADM money and start an anti-ADM campaign with it, be my guest. I'd rather drive the car.

We buy these cars to have fun with them; the smile I've had on my face every time I drive the Bullitt has not faded a jot. I don't really even care about the tick/rattle issues--my car is still running strong and not using any oil and, until there's an actual fix, why bother being worried about it? That's why I bought new and even paid for an extended warranty.

Even if you DON'T pay any ADM, most of our cars are STILL a very bad investment; you'd be better off calling an Uber if you just want transportation. I don't want something as pedestrian as "transportation"... I want an EXPERIENCE!

 

[rick81721]

They didn't pull it off.

I know a guy who maintains a car collection for a very wealthy dude down in Texas. He paid $150k for a Demon.

There are tons of guys who paid ADM on that car.

Yeah I saw ADMs on SRT8 Challengers 7 years ago - pre Hellcats!

 

[sdiver68]

For every ADM thread there's 100 bragging about buying a car below cost. I don't blame a dealer who uses the market to set price.

 

[Dusten]

Aka Sucker.

A sucker doesn't understand the final sale they agreed too. If a buyer wants a car local, and now and adm is the only way to get it, thats the deal.

A final sale price is a good deal if the buyer feels ita a good deal regardless of price paid.

 

[stangman638]

It sucks, but its the dealers car, they can sell it for whatever they want at the end of the day... Let's be real... If someone was going to pay you 30k more for your old beat up car, would you say no thanks and take the lesser amount??

 

[Boston23]

Limited production, supply and demand, excess disposable income coupled with instant gratification and the list goes on as to what an item is worth and we all know the answer is what someone is willing to pay for it. Obviously, it’s not just Ford and the GT350/350R and soon to be GT500 but any low production vehicle, proceeded by strong marketing and validated by industry reviews and individual owners. If it’s worth it to you, and you can afford the mark up, buy it. If you’re adamantly opposed to paying more than you think it’s worth, hold out in hopes you’ll still be able to get one at MSRP. I think most dealers have a good sense of whether they can sustain multiple sales that include ADM. Other luxury items like Pappy Van Winkle, Rolex Submariners, Feral Flying Pigs are all hard to find without paying some kind of mark up or fee. Sometimes common sense prevails and you say no and every once in while, the little voice in your head says, just buy it. If you’re financially responsible and you can afford to do it, be happy with your purchase.

 

[w3rkn]

Halo cars are always going to demand more than sticker.... dERP!

 

[Brian_S550]

Obviously such a provision is in their operating agreement.

Not at all. The only thing Dodge did was to prioritize the production of customer-ordered Demons (purchased for MSRP or less) before any cars that were pre-sold to customers for higher than sticker because of ADM, and before any cars ordered as general dealer inventory. In their total run of 3300 units, that barely made a difference of two months between Demon #1 and the last one built.

 

[Snakedriver]

For every ADM thread there's 100 bragging about buying a car below cost. I don't blame a dealer who uses the market to set price.

I Agree.

 

[JR369]

Ah.... The good 'ol fashioned ADM is back in swing here at M6G. Click here to read about 137 pages of bliss on the same subject matter.

Who enjoys paying a ADM? I don't. Both my R models had a very modest ADM. I plan to keep my R's for a long time. So the dealer markup really means nothing to me. If you are in the game of buying and unloading, then yes, you will probably never recoup the markup you paid.

I work hard for my money. I enjoy spending it as I see fit. I do not enjoy people telling me how I should spend it. If I want something enough and I choose to spend extra to get it, that doesn't make me a bad person. To the contrary, it makes me an American who enjoys the free market economy. Supply and demand..... It, over time, corrects everything. I guess the problem here is a sense of entitlement that is becoming more and more pervasive in our culture as time goes by.

Don't worry, they will make a boat load of these 500's and anyone who wants one will eventually get one.

I think you're misunderstanding me. I don't care what you or anybody does with their own money. I simply noted that the ADMs exists because the market is validated by those who will pay 35 cents for a quarter. Pehaps I should have worded it better in my post. I don't want anybody catching heat because they can pay an ADM. Lots of people in here can pay a modest ADM. Some choose to and some choose not to. In my opinion the "entitlement" argument doesn't apply here. In my opinion the increasing "entitlement" culture want something for nothing at the expense of others. That's not the same as willing to fork over MSRP and not MSRP + $20k ADM.

 

[Kep4]

Someone in another thread posted that they just paid $6K+ under sticker for a new '18 GT350R. Some poor saps paid $20K or more over sticker for the same model not two years ago....

If it's on the internet then you know it's a fact!

 

[PTM5.0]

Someone in another thread posted that they just paid $6K+ under sticker for a new '18 GT350R. Some poor saps paid $20K or more over sticker for the same model not two years ago....

It amazes me how dealers and consumers think the GT350's are special considering they're built on the same assembly line as base model Mustangs and has no ties to Carroll Shelby like previous models. I was talking to a few colleagues at Flat Rock when I was ordering my '18 GT and was told then that one went down the line every 20 minutes. At that time, Ford was building fewer Navigators than GT350's...

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