I am a little upset, or maybe more annoyed that I see a crapton of Expy's driving around with my copper color. Here in Dallas, you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting a copper F150 or 250. This does not bother me so much. Most Mercedes are either black or silver...

I guess it was a smart decision on Fords part to expand the color to other lines... Again, it just annoys me. Thoughts?

 

It doesn't bother me about copper, although the minute they offer Mahogany three days after I take delivery of my 2008 Screw, I'll be pist.

 

I guess you have until the 09 Expys come out...

 

Ford's color line up is so pathetically limited...indeed like many other major manufacturers..that you can't but expect to see colors duplicated through the model range.

It is very odd that with modern paint techniques, computerisation etc. that each customer couldn't order whatever color they wanted from a provided swatch.
Indeed some (rare) manufacturers of smaller volumes can do just that. it might cost a little more but you would have a very personal truck/car/whatever.

Worse is that we haven't progressed more. Look back at brochures from cars in the 50's and 60's and the color choice was huge...even to 2 tones.
It's all down to cost cutting...thats progress?
Don't think so !

 

I enjoyed the rant. EXACTLY what I was looking for.

 

But Lenny, we could be back where old "Henry" said, "You can have any color you want, as long as it's black!"

Glad you arrived safely! Hope your Expy does too! Have a nice G&T and think of us here in the colonies.

- Jack

 

I'm still in South Texas, enjoying the heat.
The expy goes in on Wednesday for major work.....its only done 17000 miles but I'm having new tires, windshield, battery, exhaust system..in fact anything that needs doing simply because it will be so much more costly and difficult in the UK.
It gets delivered to Houston for shipping on May14th.

As for dear old Henry.

Did you not know that the business about black is a myth.

In fact when the model T was first produced...certainly in the UK...you couldn't get black !!!

Quote......
No one really knows if Henry Ford ever said that the buying public could have Model T Fords "in any color, so long as it's black", but it is commonly attributed to him. While this saying is true for the model years after 1913, earlier cars were available in Brewster Green, Red, Blue and Gray. In fact, in the first year, Model T Fords were not available in Black at all, but only in Gray, Red and Brewster Green.

 

Oh darn! And here I thought I'd posted something good! :o

Now I'm wondering what else I learned in my childhood in this American environment is all wrong? Don't tell me though, my Kiwi Wife already does that ad nauseam. I don't need to have any more of my cherished "truths" destroyed by you members of "superior cultures".

Why did I think you were back on the hillside next to the sheep? Are my brain cells deteriorating that repidly?

Oh well, hope you have a safe trip when you finally DO go!

- Jack

 

Jack - you may be right on this one. From Wikipedia:

By 1918, half of all cars in America were Model T's. However, it was a monolithic block; as Ford wrote in his autobiography, "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black".[12] Until the development of the assembly line, which mandated black because of its quicker drying time, Model T's were available in other colors including red. The design was fervently promoted and defended by Ford, and production continued as late as 1927; the final total production was 15,007,034. This record stood for the next 45 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_ford

 

Thanks, smcconaghie - After Lenny said it was a myth, I did a search and found several references of course. Most seemed to support the idea that he actually DID say it. But, look at this one (first paragraph in the section called "Production") http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_T

Notice it's also a Wikipedia reference. It seems to cast a bit of doubt on the origin of the statement.

However, since old Henry wrote the statement in his autobiography, I'll have to attribute it to him. So there, Lenny! We're not going to accept your version of our history here in the colonies!

- Jack

 

And yet again...another KR thread that got derailed...

 

Oh sorry, Shine! But, we were talking about color weren't we? And, it sort of "tied in" with the "cost cutting" post, didn't it? It wasn't too far off topiic. :o

- Jack

 

I am not upset. I think its kinda funny. Anywho, most of my threads go into a totally different direction than intended, and usually I aid in the derailment. Its really about enjoying the conversation in the end.

 

Thanks Shine! I agree wholeheartedly with your last sentence too. I was saying to Janet the other day that I see these forums as a kind of updated "ham radio" hobby. Just a bunch of folks sharing some comon interests getting together and talking with each other - all around the world! I've enjoyed the process a whole bunch. I'm glad you weren't upset.

And there. Again I derail us! :o

- Jack