The explanation given was that the ship commonly thought of as the Far Trader, was just a variant. Which is entirely possible, as you should have expected seeing a Beowolf-class ship modified into a Far Trader type craft.
But I do side with you in that I think they short-changed fans with the combination as it was. It's not "the" Far Trader of yore, and it wasn't as if the deck plans or really good art of it doesn't exist.
It's not like people can't get the ship off the web or from a previous version.. .but people shouldn't have to do that either.