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See my point? It's a dead end for these cars, the younger people (mostly) don't want them and that is a problem for the automakers.
My older brother (60 years old) bought his wife a Mustang convertible. Really cool car IMO, but the young people don't give it a second look. I've driven in it quite a few times. My wife's '09 VW Jetta get's way more looks.
Where exactly do you live because at least around here, quite a few younger people DO want the retro rides but don't exactly have the money to afford them. Usually the baby boomer's are buying the high-dollar models while a 20-something can only afford the V6 Camaro/Challenger/etc.
I actually don't see many young people in Mustang's for whatever reason. Usually the demographic for the Camaro and Challenger seems substantially younger while the age for a Mustang owner is probably on-par with that of a Corvette.
But Hell, I have a Corvette and love it so I say screw the perception, it's the best vehicle I've ever owned!
When I see a Mustang GT or Challenger, I EXPECT to see a grey hair driving it, much like I used to expect a grey hair behind the wheel when I saw a Buick Park Ave.
See my point? It's a dead end for these cars, the younger people (mostly) don't want them and that is a problem for the automakers.
Obviously you have not been to a drag strip or an open track event recently. The young guys far outnumber us old farts.
90 % of my student drivers are in their 20's-30's.
It's a dead end for these cars, the younger people (mostly) don't want them and that is a problem for the automakers.
My older brother (60 years old) bought his wife a Mustang convertible. Really cool car IMO, but the young people don't give it a second look. I've driven in it quite a few times. My wife's '09 VW Jetta get's way more looks.
It's not a problem at all, what makes you think it's the young people that dictate the auto industry?
It would be a problem if the cars weren't selling, but they are, so no dead end there.
As far as young people looking at a jetta, who cares? tastes change, for people that have never experienced a true muscle car it's not surprising at all, does it bother you that much that some people enjoy them?
Let's for one moment look at how many young working adults make six figures a year.
Maybe you and your social set have done well for yourself and that's a good thing but it's not a realistic view of just how much your generation owes in student loans, credit card debt, etc, etc, etc.
I'm pleased that this doesn't affect you and like you I make close to six figures myself but then again I'm from a different generation that didn't get their @ss handed to them in a financially bankrupted hat.
Let them eat cake right?
Have a beer and enjoy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ
I completely and totally disagree with the above. I'm 31 years old and make six figures, I have friends who also have good jobs, live in nice homes, and drive nice vehicles and they're far from "screwed".
Every generation has always bemoaned how much worse off the upcoming generation is going to be and truth be told, historically each new generation has enjoyed a quality of life higher than that of their parent's generation. With technology, advances in medical science, and an inter-connected world, I don't doubt the coming generations will enjoy a greater quality of life than my parents or myself.
I graduated from college back in 2003 and I didn't enter the workforce to make $8/ hour; I started making a decent, livable salary like many other of my fellow graduates. Granted the current job market is rough for college grads but it's starting to pick up at least around Phoenix. Employers are starting to hire more, new facilities and buildings are starting construction, housing prices are climbing and the economy is turning around slowly but surely. Maybe it isn't in your part of the USA but in the Southwest, life is starting to get back to normal.
Almost anyone can afford a new vehicle nowadays with the reliability and inexpensive cost of current models. You can pick up a new Fusion for $20k and it's been rated one of the best vehicles for dependability and safety on the road today. I don't see where you're able to say it's expensive to own and maintain a vehicle unless you're buying a BMW/Mercedes or something exotic.
I think you're pretty off-base and are coming off sounding quite ignorant.
I see 10 hopped up Civics for every Mustang on the road and almost always the Civics are driven by young people. And they are really cool, lowered with nice wheels and exhaust.
I haven't seen a new, modified Mustang, Camero or Challenger yet. Always stock and always driven by older folks. That is my experience anyway.
I wasn't around in the '60s, but I have my doubts that high school students could afford muscle cars back then either. I'm sure some parents bought them for their kids, just like today you have parents buy $30k+ cars for their kids.
The Mustang GT, the Challenger and the Camero--my problem with them is that all I ever see is old farts like me with grey hair driving them. I'm 50 so was in at the end of the muscle car era back in the day. I had a '68 Dodge Charger and a '70 Dodge Dart Swinger 340. I loved those cars back then, but I don't need to relive that anymore. I have moved on.
The problem I see is they have these new retro cars so overpriced that the people who should be driving them cannot afford them. The idea behind the performance cars back in the day was to attract young buyers and build excitement in a brand of car so you can try to keep them as long range customers. Dodge hoped that the 19 year old Charger or Challenger driver would eventually trade that in for a Fury Wagon someday.
Now these old farts are running around in these cars and ruining the entire idea IMO. This is a dead end for the big 3.
Now VW, Toyota and Nissan-they get it. They make cool cars that young people can afford and they build long term customers.
I'm surprised so many people in this thread are either deliberately missing your point or don't care to discuss.
In regards to the topic, I think perhaps:
A) Automakers are not concerned with future sales because brand loyalty isn't what it once was.
B) Automakers can't bring the price point down as low as it would need to be to attract the younger crowd. Even if they could, they can't; if they had an $18,000 Mustang, who would pay $25,000 for the same V6 engine (or $30,000 with options)?
C) Short term profits are more important these days as money is tight all around while the economy, fads, and even regulations are changing rapidly. It's not possible to plan decades ahead any more.
That said, if there were a no-frills V8 pony car in the mid-$20 range I'd pick one up.
I remember when you could buy a new base V6 Camaro or Mustang with manual windows for around $16k. Those days are long gone.
So are teh salaries that made that true.
back in '70, when the Mustang BOSS 302 was $5k new, that was also half a decent annual salary. For a 50 year old. Today a BOSS 302 new is $40k. About half a decent salary for a 50 year old.
I'm almost 50 and I own a Mustang GT convertible, and yes it gets looks and complments from younger people. I'm not reliving my youth, however, as I've never given it up and have always had fun cars like this.
I've seen older( 60 years plus) driving:
VW Bug
Kia Soul
Smart Car
Mazda Miata
Mustang
Mini Cooper
Big SUVs( parked in handicap spots, usually)
They have the disposable income and seem to want some cars that might appeal to the youth. But one thing. Older people are supposed to be hard of hearing but its always the young people that blast their car stereos and not them. Why?
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