Excellent analysis-
Quote from: 98SVT - was 06GT on August 04, 2021, 11:09:54 PM
A couple other deal killers we haven't gone into deeply yet were the EPA and insurance costs. Early emissions requirements were tough for manufacturers to meet. Look at the low HP from the 70s all the way into the 90s. Insurance costs were always based on risk vs cost. Performance cars cost more to insure. A 69 GT500 cost more to insure due to initial price than a 69 Coupe with the same drivetrain. A buyer just looking for performance would get the cheaper to buy/insure Coupe or Sportroof. In 1969 I bought a new Road Runner. I opted for the 3 speed stick because to insure me as a 19 year old with a 4 speed was 3 times the price.
CS always had the public story he killed it himself due to the emissions requirements. Long before that Ford had already decided to pull the plug. The Duece had made his point to Enzo in 66-67. The Shelby's were not race cars getting free ink and drawing customers to the showroom floor. The races getting all the ink was TransAm and Ford/Chevy had decided to pull their dollars out of that so there was no need to renew CSs race team or personal services contract. I heard a price tag of $25 million is what Ford spent on racing from the start of the GT40 program until LeMans in 67. Yeah HFII ran the place but he had a board of directors to justify that kind of money to and spending $3-4 dollars profit from each car would no longer fly on the balance sheet. CS also hadn't had many race wins since the 67 TA championship. TA crowds were down and NASCAR was still drawing 5-10 times the number of people to a race than TA ever did.