In some ways I fit the demographic to a "T" - male, just turned 50, upper middle income, looking for a reward car - but in other ways I'm probably very atypical.
Although I grew up in Detroit surrounded by auto enthusiasts and worked for Ford a couple years, I never really got that excited about new car designs. The last car I purchased was a new '78 Firebird and it's the only one I've owned since.
Three years ago I decided I preferred the train for commuting and since there is a nearby rental agency for the few times I need to drive, I garaged the Firebird and there it still sits. About a year ago I decided to start looking for that reward car. I had a pretty good idea what I wanted - a comfortable cruiser with classic roadster styling. The Miata had the looks but not the comfort. Other makes were great to drive, but as the Forbes article put it so well had that neutered-by-wind-tunnel sport tourer look. I despaired ever finding my car.
The first picture I saw of the Thunderbird made me do a double-take. It so perfectly fit the image of my ideal, I couldn't believe it was real. And so began the long journey of shopping for a dealer, getting a fair price, getting a test drive, enduring the delays, and on it goes...