Bring out guns that people want. Face it, most folks that want a Colt cant get one (too expensive). Most of the folks that want "granddaddys or daddys" old python or 1911 cant do it b/c of cost. Think about the reason Rock Island is so popular. An old GI 1911 for under 400 bucks. Can you do that with a reasonable condition Colt? Heck no, not in cost. If Colt wants to be successful, stop this "custom" or "signature" stuff. Go back to the old Colt: a darn good gun at a reasonable price. Most of the folks with Colts today are getting rid of them (older folks that fought in the wars of history) or are being pawned off by relatives of dead folks. It sickens me in regards to "collectability" of firearms. If a mass produced item is "collectable" and in the numbers Colt produced, then why is my old high school car (87 Tercel) not a collectable? Demand? GIBBERISH! I say, let the folks that own the weapons determine value (sunny days with granddad at the range, shooting, having a first sip of beer as a kid after the range, spending time learning what a man is). Let the owners determine value of weapons, not "market conditions". If we are to attach a price to everything (including the air we breathe and time with our family), we all would be broke several times over.
IF Colt wants to succeed (big IF), come out with guns that are pretty much as they were back then (bring back the Python, etc...), to heck with collectors and get over themselves in regards to price. I owned a Python in .357 at one time. I liked it, but in my mind it was little different than the S&W 13 or model 14 I have too. Just the name. Compete with other companies? Not sure if Colt can do that now-adays. Cost will kill them.
What would I like to see? Reasonably priced reproductions of older designs. S&W makes the Lemon squeezer and model 27 and so on (though a little pricey for the weapon). Ruger makes reproductions (not exact but nice guns) of single actions. Make reproductions of the Colt Police Positive (.38 Special of course, not Long Colt or S&W), WW1 and 2 reproduction 1911s, single actions, etc... But not at custom shop pricing.
Just my 2cents, too much rambling, but Colt always gets my fur up when people talk about collectors or value of thier guns. Guns are for protection and recreation. Maybe people are shooting up malls or similar b/c we arent spending time with our kids, shooting with them and letting them handle guns of history (I hope my son/daughter one day will get to fire my grandfathers model 10 from when he was in the OSI in the Air Force).