If complaining to/about Ford is barking up the wrong tree, than what is the right tree?
Ford dropped the ball in marketing the Contour in general, as well as the SVT. This is proven every time someone posts and comments that their Contour is confused for an Escort or a Taurus, or that noone heard of the Contour. It is the job of Ford's marketing department to promote and differentiate their product lines. They clearly failed to do this.
What has Ford marketing have to do with the SVT getting great reviews from magazines? Is automotive journalism that corrupt? They built a good car, but they didn't capitalize on the good press with an aggressive ad campaign. Think the 1985 Chrysler LeBaron GTS Turbo for an example of how you can promote yourself as a bargain-priced Euro sports sedan with proof to back it up. The whole "Over there" campaign was genius.
It may sound good that Ford listened to a handful of drag racers (probably fewer people than have contacted them about the Contour) to save money by retaining a live axle. It's cheaper, plain and simple.
SVT is marketing to one crowd in different generations. The SVT Focus is merely a Cobra, Lightning, or GT40 for the younger more urban market. It still leaves people that want practicality with their performance out in the cold.
There is a viable market for the Contour, and a SVT variant. Hundreds of thousands of buyers are going unchecked to Grand Am's, Aleros, Galants, Sebrings, Stratuses, V6 Jettas, Subaru WRX's. Ford needs to fill this gaping hole in their lineup between the Focus and the Taurus (they differ 20(!) inches in length!).
I want to see figures before anyone says the Contour lost money. I find the way the costs were attributed a form of reverse Enron, doctoring the figures to make this car deliberately look bad. The SVT Contour was never given a fair chance to make it.
Even if the Contour lost money, I think the attitude Ford needs to take is "how do we make a car in this essential market segment profitable", not "it wasn't profitable, so ditch it."
FWIW, Mark, SVTOA does accept non-SVT's. I'd be a member, but they don't have a Minnesota branch.
