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dpdoor (43.13)

Have you seen the car dealers today!!?

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December 27, 2008 – Comments (11) | RELATED TICKERS: F , GM

The relief I felt was overwhelming when I saw how busy they were. Last week I drove by the car dealers, they advertised great deals but there were 30 salesmen standing in a group and only one customer out of 4 car dealers. Today there were only 5 of the 30 sales people standing around and the rest were busy!

 I saw families all over the place looking at cars. I don’t think Toyota was doing as well as Ford, Chrysler was doing well The GM dealer in the “Car mall” had been bought out by another dealer and was closed. I did not go by the other location so I don’t know how GM was doing.

Overall things are better then I have seen in years.

My wife went to the shopping mall and said the shelves were empty and the place was packed.

Wall Street is running out of time to bring the stock market down. They only have a few more days to try to bring it down.

If the sales reports come out positive for the car market the stock market will run up.

You might want to go out to your car dealers and check it out and let us know what you see.

 A little side note: Since production of cars is being cut back and sales seem to be picking up cars may get kind of expensive in a couple of months.

My main point is as a small business owner I am almost overwhelmed with relief to see all the consumer activity.

11 Comments – Post Your Own

#1) On December 27, 2008 at 7:50 PM, dpdoor (43.13) wrote:

How's your town doing?

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#2) On December 27, 2008 at 9:02 PM, DemonDoug (98.73) wrote:

where exactly are you?  In Pollyanna Land?  Or are you just a really big fat liar or something.

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#3) On December 28, 2008 at 5:15 AM, dpdoor (43.13) wrote:

DemondBoug Im in so cal, did you go to your car dealers or are you too lazy?

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#4) On December 29, 2008 at 2:04 AM, dbhealy (98.55) wrote:

pass some of that kool-aid my way!

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#5) On December 29, 2008 at 2:41 AM, ken49620 (91.12) wrote:

The Dallas Morning News has a story that was in the dec 29th issue atating how great the ford f-150 sales are doing. the have had to add additional shifts at 2 plants to try to compinsate for the back orders. That is great news, f-150 has been the best selling ford vehicle and the best selling truck 30 years running so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise but with what is going on around us, hurray 

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#6) On December 29, 2008 at 6:51 AM, mickeyc21 (31.02) wrote:

Keep letting us know what you see DP.

Your description of the card yards sounds like Irvine. Close? 

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#7) On December 29, 2008 at 8:49 AM, brwn8484 (91.07) wrote:

Thats great that F-150 sales are good in YOUR area.  But I would not place your hopes in Ford (or the economy) based on a car dealer sample of one.

Domestic Auto mfg and domestic business will not return until we fix 2 major problems....

First - Create an even and fair system of worldwide trade.  Not the flawed and one sided agreements we have now.  We have highest taxes, the highest legal costs, the highest environmental laws/cost and a corrupt political system where companies and individuals can buy favoritism with lobbying and campaign contributions.  We have been duped into believing that our leaders can pass simple laws to create free trade.  Their is nothing free for the US in our free tade pacts.  We bear the greater burden of environmental costs, legal costs, corporate and personal taxation, union favoratism and we are fighting a world that hates the US and is seeking to destroy us through any means necessary.  Our trading partners have unfairly gained trade superiority by:

Long term subsidization of Key Industries with goal of destroying complete US business sectors

Illegal kick-backs and pay-backs to lower costs of foreign goods

Illegal theft of technology, products and trade secrets

Poor policing of offshore environmental and labor laws favoring foreign companies and products at expense of domestic business and economies.  Ask yourself why we allow toxic chinese products to continue to flood our markets?

Second - Change business training and business mind set to operate on a true 5-10 year planning cycle just like the japanese and truly manufacture a quality product.  Most business in US is run to show profit at qrtrs end and most decisions are tied to production numbers not production quality. 

 

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#8) On December 30, 2008 at 11:20 PM, dpdoor (43.13) wrote:

car sales won't return to what they are but there is a lot of activity out there. An I believe the last 3 months was as much about fear as anything else. The party is over but we are not dead.

By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAYAs the worst sales year in more than a decade draws to a close, auto dealers are sweetening deals this week in a last-ditch effort to unload acres of cars.

Cash back, 0% interest rates and even wackier deals, such as buy-one-get-one-free, are being tried to squeeze out a few last sales.

"For bargain hunters, it's probably the best time in the last 10 years at least," says Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com.

General Motors added a last-minute inducement Tuesday by offering 0% to 4.9% financing through Monday on some remaining 2008 models. Financing arm GMAC said the loans were made possible by a $6 billion infusion from the federal government's bank rescue fund.

In another a move toward normalcy, GMAC said it will extend its low-rate loans to those with less-than-perfect credit.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: California | Texas | General Motors | Boise | Cadillac | Edmunds.com | Garland | Hybrid Electric Vehicle | Tim Smith | Calabasas | George Pipas | Chevy Cobalt | Tom Libby | Philip Reed | Chevy SUV

The widespread deals result from pressure on automakers to move inventory.

New vehicles are averaging an "exceptionally high" three months at dealerships before selling, the longest for a December since Power Information Network started keeping track in 2002, analyst Tom Libby says. "It's a buyer's market," he adds.

The backlog is so deep that major automakers, including import brands, are cutting production this month and next to try to let demand catch up to supply.

Ford Motor analyst George Pipas says too many would-be buyers still are being kept out of the market by tight credit. Many can't get a loan even as Ford runs an employee-pricing promotion, through Monday, that Pipas says offers the deepest discounts of the year.

Besides low interest, GM is offering incentives up to $10,000 on some remaining 2008 models.

With gas prices down, pickups are hot at Prestige Ford in Garland, Texas. "We've been busy," says John Thull, the general sales manager. "Good deals to be had on just about everything."

Sales are brisk — helped by a 0.9% interest rate — at Bob Smith BMW/Mini in Calabasas, Calif., says Tim Smith, president.

All these discounts have some dealers getting creative to try to stand out in the crowd.

Peterson Super Center in Boise, for instance, has a "two-for-the-price-of-one" sale this week: Buy a full-size Cadillac or Chevy SUV or Chevy diesel pickup at full price and get a free 2009 Chevy Cobalt sedan. Interest in the deal has been "really good," ad director Sharon Potter says

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#9) On December 31, 2008 at 12:08 AM, dpdoor (43.13) wrote:

Im in beautifull Ranch Cucamonga 45 miles south of LA were unemployment is 10% and house are down 20 to 30% yet life goes on. My business is off 38% from 05 but made 8% more profit then most years. Our reccession started in oct 05 but we didn't know it untill the news told us, we just thought it was the end of the biggest boom ever and now life is back to normal.

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#10) On December 31, 2008 at 12:20 AM, Slickwilly2184 (28.95) wrote:

My brother bought a car the day after christmas and 7 cars were sold in the matter of 2 hours.  Things are looking up!

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#11) On January 03, 2009 at 4:03 PM, dpdoor (43.13) wrote:

.......But dealer showroom traffic went up dramatically in the last week of the month, consumer website Edmunds.com reported Friday. Dealers said they did 40% of their business during the last week of the month thanks to an influx of customers.

"Normally, I would say that such an increase in the last week of December is just at the high end of the usual seasonal pattern, but in the current environment, I would say that it is dramatically good news," said David Tompkins, Edmunds.com senior analyst.

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