car dealers

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GM, Saturn Dealers Split on Playing Up Penske Name

(Newser) - Saturn dealerships around the country have been using the brand’s planned acquisition by Roger Penske to attract customers, the Wall Street Journal reports. "People want to buy from someone they like," said the owner of a Saturn dealership in Wichita. But dealership owners nationwide have since received...

Aussie PM Refuses to Quit in Car Dealer Scandal

(Newser) - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is refusing to resign in the first major crisis of his 19 months in office, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Dubbed "Utegate"—after a popular SUV—the scandal centers on whether Rudd gave special treatment to a friend's car dealership. Critics say Rudd...

As Dealers Dwindle, Car Prices Set to Balloon

Lack of competition expected to drive up GM, Chrysler's prices

(Newser) - The shake-up of America's auto industry will mean fewer auto dealers but the streamlining won't be making the cars any cheaper, experts tell the Boston Globe. Chrysler and General Motors are likely to turn to the Japanese model of fewer brands and fewer dealers when they emerge from bankruptcy, and...

Shock, Anger Settle In for Car Dealers

(Newser) - Hundreds of Chrysler dealers are reeling from notices that give them less than a month to close up shop, CBS News reports. "This was a sucker punch for my brother and I," said Rob Engel, who has been selling Chrysler vehicles in New Jersey since the Reagan presidency....

Minority Car Dealers Stand to Lose Big in Closures

(Newser) - African-American and Latino car dealers will likely take a big hit in the dealership closures announced by Chrysler and planned at GM, the Wall Street Journal reports. The minority dealerships, located mainly in urban areas, have faced stiff competition as business has moved increasingly to suburbia. “We're more vulnerable,...

Chrysler Junks 789 Dealers —25% of US Salesforce

Move will increase profits, company says

(Newser) - Chrysler plans to eliminate 25% of its US dealers by next month, the New York Times reports. The embattled automaker notified 789 today, citing the need to keep remaining franchises profitable. Chrysler filed a list of those dealerships in bankruptcy court, and a judge could decide to rescue them. General...

GM to Scrap Pontiac Brand
 GM to Scrap 
 Pontiac Brand 
Apr 24, 2009 3:04 PM CDT

GM to Scrap Pontiac Brand

(Newser) - GM plans to discontinue its underperforming Pontiac line, putting an end to the brand that inaugurated the era of the muscle car, CNNMoney reports. Though GM has not publicly announced the move, the fate of Pontiac has been in doubt since at least 2005, when an exec called the brand...

Tax Breaks for Car Buyers Added to Stimulus Package

Senate approves boost for auto industry as sales hit 27-year low

(Newser) - A new boost for automakers and car dealers has been added to the stimulus package before the Senate, reports the Los Angeles Times. The amendment—made on the same day that US car makers reported their worst sales in 27 years—would create an income tax deduction for both sales...

No Hope for Detroit Until We End Rip-Off Financing

The indebted consumer can't afford cars

(Newser) - Congress' plan to bail out Detroit ignores one fundamental problem: Americans owe so much on their current cars—often more than the vehicles are worth—that they can't buy new ones, writes Stephanie Mencimer in Mother Jones. Detroit—along with the "great scourge of the American consumer market: the...

And on the Seventh Day, They Stop Selling Cars

In 14 states, Blue laws keep dealerships closed ... and that's just fine with them

(Newser) - With the American auto industry in dire straits, you might think dealers would be working 24/7 to move merchandise. But in 14 states and scattered counties elsewhere, Sunday sales are against the law—and many dealership owners like it that way. The Wall Street Journal visits Rhode Island to look...

SUV, Pickup Sales Rebound as Price of Gas Drops

But big trucks are becoming scarce as automakers retool for fuel efficient models

(Newser) - Gas prices are down and the sales of SUVs and pickup trucks are accelerating, albeit only into second gear, reports the Wall Street Journal. As gas edges closer to $2, buyers are picking up bargains on the big gas guzzlers dealers couldn’t give away couple of months ago. And...

Chrysler to Scrap Leasing
 Chrysler to Scrap Leasing
Jul 26, 2008 12:07 PM CDT

Chrysler to Scrap Leasing

Struggling automaker says it will focus more on financing loans

(Newser) - Chrysler will no longer offer auto leases through its financial arm, due to the declining value of used automobiles, particularly trucks and SUVs, the Detroit Free Press reports. Instead, it plans to focus on financing, which could lead to better deals for those who buy cars through loans. Given the...

Drivers Order Big Extras for Small Cars

Downsizing buyers want jumbo comforts in smaller vehicles

(Newser) - American drivers are ditching their SUVs for smaller vehicles in droves—but they're cramming in all the extra comforts they can, reports the New York Times. Buyers are spending thousands on bonus features such as heated leather seats and top entertainment systems. The trend gives a rare glimmer of hope...

Buy Car, Get Gun Free
 Buy Car, Get Gun Free 
May 23, 2008 4:34 AM CDT

Buy Car, Get Gun Free

Have gun, will travel: Dealer offers pistol bonus

(Newser) - Sales have shot up at a Missouri car dealership with a novel new promotion, reports the BBC. Anybody buying a new car at Max Motors before the end of the month gets a $250 gas card—or a gun. The "God, Guns and Gas" deal was inspired by Barack...

Mercury Line May Hit the Scrap Heap

Sales have slipped from half a million annually to 168K last year

(Newser) - Once a four-wheeled icon of cool, Ford's Mercury brand is steadily losing traction and may soon be parked for good, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ford has not yet announced a plan to scrap the line, but one key stockholder is urging the company to let it go.  "...

Mexico Bans All Car Imports— Except '98s

New law allows only 10-year-old jalopies across the border

(Newser) - For used-car shoppers in Mexico, 1998 is about to become a very popular year. Starting today, only 10-year-old cars—nothing newer, nothing older—can be imported in Mexico, a move designed to curtail the flood of “vehiculos chatarra,” or jalopies, clogging the streets. Before the change, imports needed...

Chrysler Plan Cuts Dealers, Overlapping Models

To return to profitability, car maker may restructure its vehicle and dealer lineup

(Newser) - Clued-in dealers say Chrysler is considering a restructuring plan to simplify its lineup: Chrysler dealers would sell all the company’s passenger cars, Jeep dealers would carry only Jeeps and SUVs, and Dodge dealers would handle commercial trucks and pickups. The reorganization would allow Chrysler to eliminate overlapping models and...

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