The 2002 production run of 25,000 new Thunderbirds included only 2,000 cars for Canada. Yet potential buyers besieged Canadian Ford dealers. Many hoped to make a quick profit by reselling the cars in the United States. Reselling was relatively easy, and shipping costs were comparatively low. When the Thunderbird with the optional hardtop first became available at the end of 2001, Canadians paid C$56,550 for the vehicle, while U.S. customers spent up to C$73,000 in the United States. Why? Why did Ford require Canadian dealers to sign an agreement that prohibited moving vehicles to the United States?