quote:This has all gotta be great for the marque
Why?
Is the selling price of our cars the yardstick for determining the standing of our marque in the car community?
Is it important how the car community views our cars in any of their 'standards'?
I couldn't care less about how our marque is viewed by outsiders.
When I was a young man in my twenties, I had one automobile photo hanging on my bedroom wall.....take a guess.
Or sure, there were (are) other cars I had a lusting for - Hemi-Road Runner, 302 Boss, GT40 street version, Vette with the side pipes and the knock-of wheels.
But only one had any serious lust that seemed it could, someday, be fulfilled. I'd buy a Hemmings now and then, and the first pages viewed would be....... yup, Pantera.
Panteras did not gain, or lose, their standing (in my book) as prices raised and fell over the years. I loved the car for its Ford power and Gawd-dam perfect design, not the credence it had in the car community.
For those who view their Pantera as a financial 'investment' then I guess the higher the auction selling prices are, the better they can feel about their 'investment'.
For those who think their Pantera ownership is somehow validated, justified or made more acceptable by how others view the status associated with our marque, so be it.
For me, I am damn glad the pricing of our Panteras is where it is, because if they had paralleled the Dancing Donkey car values, there sure wouldn't be one in my garage.
And I think perhaps the interesting variety of owners and the feeling of Family that comes with ownership is linked to the fact our Panteras CAN be bought by people of all income levels, not just the ones who can fly to over-priced auctions or ship a basket case off to be restored by someone else's hands.
Larry -
Why do I have the sudden urge to go out and see if I can find that turboed 350Z that I red-light-start spanked while coming home from a PCNC meeting last year?
Now THAT was good for the marque.
