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1961 ford thunderbird images3/6/2024 ![]() The Thunderbird for 1961 introduced several firsts for the automotive market. Kennedy's inaugural parade, probably helped along by the appointment of Ford executive Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense. The Thunderbird was 1961's Indianapolis 500 pace car, and featured prominently in US President John F. A new, larger 390 cu in (6.4 L) FE-series V8 was the only engine available (in 1961). Sales were strong, if not quite up to record-breaking 1960, at 73,051 including 10,516 convertibles. “We just don’t need this many of them this quickly – and that’s the point of the letter,” he said.1961 saw new and much sleeker styling for the Ford Thunderbird. The disconnect, he said, is taxpayers could be investing in a myriad of other technologies that could dramatically reduce the carbon footprint, would be in high demand and sell naturally, without the need for subsidies.Īnderson said he can speak for the entire industry when he says they are excited to sell electric vehicles. ![]() He added, “Every time I think about that, I feel like it’s asking someone to go dig their own grave.” He says it’s a great injustice to pay taxes, which are then used to force an agenda that would deprive Americans of affordable and useful cars and require them to buy unaffordable and less useful. While he is sitting on a 200-day supply of EV’s, he has an almost year-long waitlist for those wanting to purchase a Toyota Prius.Īnderson, a Nebraskan, understands climate concerns, but says, “Of all the ways we can look to reduce carbon, this one hits the American taxpayer squarely in the chest.” He said demand for ICE vehicles remains high, but it has significantly increased for plug-in hybrids. The path to get on the trajectory to meet the administration’s deadlines, Anderson said, is already departing in a significant way from natural consumer demand. He added, “You can make them, but they’re gonna just sit.” They can make all those sandwiches, but you will still have most people in the drive-thru ordering chicken. “If you can imagine the government mandating Chick-fil-A to make two-thirds of their sandwiches some vegetarian substitute,” said Anderson. – both individually and collectively – they realized elected officials misunderstood the low demand for EVs, Anderson said. ![]() Through dealers’ visits to Washington, D.C. During meetings with peers nationwide, he discovered they were all experiencing the same thing. Last summer, for the first time since the pandemic, supply chains were reestablished, and they saw EV production outpace demand in a significant way. Anderson said he buys from the manufacturers to honor their partnership, but dealers have limits, and their lots are only so big. To date, the only communication he has received from the administration is confirmation of the receipt of the letter.ĭealers are not required to take them, but the mandate requires manufacturers to build them. ![]() Mickey Anderson is president and CEO of Baxter Auto Group, which owns 21 dealerships in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, the greater Kansas City area, Colorado Springs, and Madison, Wisconsin.Īnderson told The Center Square although he spearheaded the letter, it was a collaborative effort, and after sharing it with a few other dealers, thousands more wanted to cosign. They add that reliable charging networks, electric grid stability, sourcing of materials and other issues need time to resolve – and finally, many people simply want to choose which vehicle is right for them. “Many of these challenges can and will be addressed by our manufacturers, but many…are outside of their control,” the dealers said in the letter. However, the majority of their customers are not ready to make the change, citing concerns over affordability, charging access and range. The letter goes on to say they are thrilled to sell them. In addition to what customers are telling them, dealers say the best indicator of demand are the EVs “stacking up on our lots.”Įnthusiasm for EVs has stalled, the dealers say, “even with deep price cuts, manufacturer incentives, and generous government incentives.” The letter says while admirable, the goal becoming a reality requires consumer acceptance. The Biden administration set a target for battery electric vehicles, also known as BEVs or EVs, to account for half of all new vehicle sales by 2030 – some states have taken steps to ban internal combustion engine vehicles altogether by 2035.
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