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Automotive News & Views Dude, where did all the dealerships go?
654 messages, Last post on Nov 23, 2009 at 7:56 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: guss (Dec 09, 2008 4:40 am) |
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Replying to: explorerx4 (Dec 08, 2008 7:01 pm) |
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Replying to: boaz47 (Dec 08, 2008 7:45 pm)
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Replying to: dtownfb (Dec 09, 2008 9:07 am) THOSE dealers must be happy. |
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Replying to: dtownfb (Dec 09, 2008 9:07 am) Yes I agree but the little guy still has to survive 2009 and no one is looking at dealers like Subaru and Suzuki. Subaru has a very loyal fan base but if sales are flat again for 2009 how will they survive? Subaru has very little for the mainstream entry level buyer and Suzuki doesn't have the brand loyalty to hold off the wolf for another 2 or 3 quarters. Neither Subaru nor Suzuki is cash flush like Toyota and I doubt they will be exempt from another short fall next year. I believe we are heading into at least a two year slump and I don't think credit will be freed up till 2010 or 2011. Both Subaru and Suzuki have been on the ropes in the US before in the US and while the dodged the bullet so far I just wonder how well they will do over the long run? |
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From the Philadelphia newspaper: http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20081210_Agonies_trickle_down.html
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Replying to: lemko (Dec 10, 2008 8:58 am) This part caught my eye: Some remaining employees declined to be interviewed, saying they were so angry about GM and GMAC, they feared what they might say and the trouble that might cause. Ken Keiffer was willing to talk. He can't say enough about a family that gave him work when he needed something to keep him busy after he retired as a mechanic 13 years ago and his wife died five years ago. As a "lot man," his job was to move cars around the dealership. When the layoffs started earlier this fall, the 75-year-old widower insisted the Weeds stop paying him. But he continues to show up every day, not so much to move displays, but "because I like the people," he said. "I just can't see why the government doesn't bail these people out." It would seem there are folks even at GM dealerships that blame GM for the mess the dealers are in, rather than hard economic times. I would agree with them - boneheaded management is the majority cause of GM's current woes. AND there seem to be folks besides me that think that some of the bailout money should be trickled down to dealers, not just to the fat cats in Detroit. But if you are willing to bail out dealers, the question then becomes: dealers of which brands? Because if it is inevitable that some manufacturers are on the road to bankruptcy in the next 12-18 months, what good does it do to bail out their dealers now? That is precisely why there are unemployment funds in the first place. Another question I have is this: do the Weed brothers also perform factory service at their dealership, and sell used cars as well as new? Because I thought used sales and the service department are where new car dealers make all their profits anyway, and those are much less impacted by the frozen nature of the credit markets and the unavailability of GMAC loans in particular.
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 10, 2008 10:08 pm) I'd always heard that too, that the bulk of profits came from used cars and the repair shop. New car sales are often lucky to break even. However, with new car sales dried up, I guess that would reduce the supply of used cars? Fewer new car sales would also equal fewer trade-ins, as people hang onto their old cars longer. And even people who might trade in their old car on a newer used car, might still hold onto their car longer. As for servicing, well fewer sales will mean fewer cars to get serviced, but there could also be other factors at play. Perhaps people are driving less in this economy, so scheduled maintenance comes up less often. And with money being tighter, I'm sure some people are skimping on maintenance, pushing their intervals out further. Could be penny-wise and pound-foolish, but most people just think short-term. This economy could also be pushing people to seek out a cheaper independent mechanic, bypassing the dealer. And like skimping on service, maybe people are also skimping on repairs, putting things off longer than they should? While the GMAC thing might not impact used car loans, there are other factors. People can't tap into their home equity as easily as in the past. I'm sure that was the cash source for a lot of purchases. And aren't regular banks, credit unions, etc, tightening their standards as well? A couple months ago, I actually got declined for a Shell Mastercard! I wanted to get it because they were offering 5% off on Shell gas purchases. I dunno what my FICO score is these days, but the last time I checked, 2006, I think it was around 759. I gotta say, I was actually offended that they declined my application! It was a new experience to me. Maybe auto loans are different from credit cards, though? |
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Replying to: andre1969 (Dec 11, 2008 7:45 am) I plan to get an Acura TSX. $355 a month lease. Not bad! |
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Replying to: bvdj84 (Dec 13, 2008 4:37 am)
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