Do Ford F150s Seem Expensive? How About A $170,000 GT500?

As the Ford F150 Reporter for Torque News, I have run across some complaints about the prices that some dealers have pinned on a few pickup models. Some of those prices start near just over $70,000 and climb from there.

Ford F150s Selling Even At Higher Prices

And it doesn’t keep pickups from selling well – an understatement – so while folks continue to complain about the pricing, those high-end pickups are rolling off dealer lots at a pretty good clip. And, to be honest, with the average pickup price starting at close to $40,000, it also doesn’t take much of an upfit to push even average XLs and XLTs well past $60,000, though, most dealerships do manage to keep the pricing reasonable enough so that customers can purchase the pickups.

So, what does a customer get when the price on a pickup starts at near $70,000 and quickly jumps? It depends on upfits. For example, a lift kit, and new, Fox 2.0 front suspension parts, as well as 30-inch wheels and tires can add a pile to a pickup. And, interior additions, such as heated rear seats and a top-end, sound system, contribute to the amount. (Fortunately, Ford equips its pickups with lots of technology that higher-end buyers don’t have to pay for.)

If People Buy High-End F150s, Why Not GT500s?

So, if there are buyers for expensive high-end pickups and they are moving well, it also makes sense that unique Ford cars with huge prices on them will sell well, too. Let’s face it; if there are buyers for pickup trucks that are up there in the stratosphere of high-priced Ford F150s, like well-optioned Limiteds, then it isn’t hard to see why or how dealers can get large amounts for extraordinary Mustang models like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. Whether the dealers will get the prices, well, that’s another story. And, my colleague Jimmy Dinsmore explores the story of a very special Mustang used in the movie Bullitt.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 pricing starts at $73,995. And, as things go, they can list out at quickly at a high of $110,000, all optioned-out. That is already a bunch. And, there are dealers, like one in California, who has put a super-premium price on a GT500 of $169,999. Granted, the 760-horsepower, all performance-tweaked Shelby GT500 is Ford’s most potent street performance car, but adding nearly $100,000 is quite a bit.

Which dealership gets the honors for this price? It is DCH Ford in Thousand Oaks, Calif. The dealership has a Shadow Black 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 on its lot that lists for $73,995 as its starting price and that’s pretty much the story. Indeed, says Car and Driver, the GT500 doesn’t even have the $18,500 carbon-fiber Track Pack. The Track Pack adds 20-inch exposed carbon-fiber wheels shod by Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tires, Recaro racing-style seats, plus a carbon-fiber rear wing. And, there are no exterior adds like a $10,000 racing stripe, as well.

More Than One Dealership Has High Premium

You might think that DCH is the only Ford shop that is trying to rake in a ton of money from the GT500, it isn’t. No, Koons Ford, in Sterling, Va., is offering a GT500 for $145,890. Yes, it is an improved price, but still, it is a ton of money. This one has more equipment, according to Car and Driver. It has “the carbon-fiber Track Pack and racing stripes. The dealer is calling it the ‘Golden Ticket’ GT500.”

As C & D concluded: “There are many cars we’d buy for $170,000” and don’t “get us wrong, we’re fans of the new GT500, which launched to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds in our testing, but we would [not] stretch our pockets this far for one.” And, for which cars would the auto buff book layout $170,000? They include the Aston Martin Vantage, a Nissan GT-R, a “well-optioned Porsche 911 GT3," or even “two of the better-performing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LEs.”

Source: Car and Driver via MSN

About the Author

Marc Stern has been an auto writer since 1971. It was a position that filled two boyhood dreams: One was that I would write, and two that I write about cars. When I took over as my newspaper’s auto editor, I began a 32-year career as an automotive columnist. There isn’t much on four wheels that I haven’t driven or reviewed. My work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, and others. Today, I am the Ford F150 reporter for Torque News. I write how-to and help columns for online sites such as Fixya.com and others. You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook.