As a volume Chevy dealer, I recall when the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme ate our lunch and nearly caused the demise of the Monte Carlo because of Olds' attractive interior styling and competitive pricing policy. RANSON OLDS FOUNDED OLDSMOBILE IN...
DaimlerChrysler CEO Juergen E. Schrempp vows that he and fellow German Dieter Zetsche are totally committed to getting Chrysler back on track. Chrysler is on an equal status with Mercedes-Benz as far as we are concerned, he says at the Automotive...
Is an Oldsmobile franchise worth less for multi-franchise dealers than for the country's 63 exclusive Olds dealers? Yes, says General Motors Corp. which is phasing out the brand. GM's transition financial assistance package (TFAP) sets a sliding...
I'm not suggesting that you write the franchise a termination letter, but rather take as much control as possible of your individual destiny. During this year's NADA Convention in Las Vegas, I visited with many dealers whose optimism fell below...
Putting in a good word (actually several good words) for dealers is Finbarr O'Neill, CEO of Hyundai Motor America. He says in a Detroit speech, Not too long ago, people were talking about dealers as dinosaurs in our high-speed, Internet-connected...
Dealers' finance & insurance departments offer a tremendous opportunity to bolster revenues and profits in the face of a domestic-brand sales slump. With sales of domestic new units on the downside lately, dealers are relying on their F&I managers...
Emotions still ran high when Oldsmobile dealers met at the NADA Convention's only single-division General Motors Corp. franchise meeting. Despite GM's efforts to offer what the corporation considers fair compensation to its Oldsmobile retailers...
What's good for GM isn't bad for its dealers, says General Motors Corp. President and CEO Richard Wagoner in a keynote speech at the National Automobile Dealers Association. This isn't a zero-sum game, Mr. Wagoner tells dealers. Your gain is not...
People and Places The Detroit Auto Dealers Association plays host to one of the industry's biggest and most glamorous annual events the Charity Preview of the North American International Auto Show. This year's black-tie event drew 17,500 people...
Okay, vehicle sales this year will most likely fall about one million units short of 2000's blockbuster 17.4 million units. And, yes, the buffed up economy of last year will lose some muscle. But will 2001 be that bad for the auto industry? Will...