thanks for the pics g'...
it looks VERY familiar and with good reason.
having received a few notes asking 'wadda ya think', here she goes...
first some ground was covered in this recent thread and the issues all still exist....
2009 Flying Cloud
so now as buyers, owners, stock holders and folks who CARE about the product, brand and company direction....
WHAT in WALLY'S NAME are they smokin' in jackson center!!!!
lets review...
1. perhaps the most successful complete model line in recent history (with blips from the ceeceedeez)...
-is
the safari editions from the last 8-9 years ...
2. the safari name was already a 'reintroduced' name for this run of units...
3. they've managed to sell significant numbers of plain jane safaris...
-as well as
'special models' with a string of initials and
REAL enhancements...
4. so for 09 they
tweak the COMPLETE LINE by changing the names on a dozen or so lengths and models...
5. BUT they don't drop the safari name, no they move it to a completely different trailer line...
6. the new trailer line (lighter, narrower, smaller, fewer features) introduced last year as the safari sport.
7. these 'safari sports' have moved slowly (for a variety of reasons) but DOES represent a real product change,
8. and has SO much better potential than the
base crap while being closer in heritage to the a/s of old...
9.
SO WHY DIDN'T THEY JUST RENAME the safari sports as the FLYING CLOUD LINE...
10. perhaps no 1 in the meeting thought of this (do they even have a marketing director now?)...OR
11. they were all in a hurry 2 get 2 lunch at the hobo inn or down to the pizza place for the 'all u can eat lunch buffet!
12. as a buyer of a recent safari se, ss, fb, ls, bvd, ltd, std.... i'd be VERY annoyed...
13. BASICALLY all the recent safaris are NOW muddled by this name change,
just imagine trying to sell YOUR used one to a newcomer...
-"wasn't this model discontinued ?"
-"how is this different than the flying cloud ?"
-"this doesn't look anything like the new safaris at the dealers ?"
-"i looked at prices for new safaris and you want MORE for a used one ?"
-"so this is sorta like an argosy, right ?"
IF they really wanted to use the fc name the safari sport (and what it could become) is the ideal place try it...
this may turn out to be a much bigger issue than the brainless wb' name shuffle, or the bc line or fuel prices...
so along with some engineers and designers, it may be time for management improvements at the mother ship...
cheers
2air'