Lots of depressing news

[haypops]

I live in Pasadena, CA which is a city to the northeast of down town Los Angels. It's about 8 miles to downtown LA. Yesterday I got a postcard from my Saturn dealer. They are closing both of their Saturn dealerships, one in Monrovia (one town East of here) and the other in Alhambra (2 towns southwest of me and bordering on Los Angeles.) Now the closest Saturn dealer is 26 miles away in Whittier. In last weeks Pasadena newspaper, the local Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealer announced that they were no longer selling these products. The nearest next two dealers are 25 min. away. The first Saturn dealer will be selling Mazda, the second Saturn dealer (owned by the same people) will be selling Acurar, and the Chrysler dealer will be selling a European import which I assume is BMW from their other holdings in and out of town.

These changes will certainly make buying Domestic a more difficult choice.

[tmp]

is thst Rusnak Chrysler? That's where my leBaron was from..

[buyacargetacheck]

I'm from the east coast but live in LA now. My feeling is that GM and Ford dealers out here have consolidated in a big way. In the San Fernando Valley, Galpin and Vista are the dominant Ford dealers, and Rydell is the dominant GM dealer (they carry everything even commercial). There's hardly anyone else in this part of LA, which is so big it would constitute the country's 5th or 6th largest city if it broke off from the rest of the city. Rydell is so large that I believe it uses part of the old Van Nuys GM assembly property to store a sea of vehicles. Again, GM's and Ford's dealers are probably each company's greatest strength.

[AAS]

Wierd... Assael BMW, which is right next to the Saturn dealership in Monrovia, used to sell Mazda and Buick... oh well...

You think Saturn will move in with Sierra Chevrolet once Isuzu is dropped?

[Newbiewar]

Wierd... Assael BMW, which is right next to the Saturn dealership in Monrovia, used to sell Mazda and Buick... oh well...

You think Saturn will move in with Sierra Chevrolet once Isuzu is dropped?

donno, but i think we'll be getting one over here in puente hills...

puente is about to turn into a massive auto mall... although its close to whittier, i think the whittier one will be closing or moving over to puente hills...

here at puente we've already got nissan ford g-p-b chevy toyota vw misubishi and mazda...

we'll be getting chrysler&jeep, lexus, umm i'm pretty sure a cadillac will move in, and i hope my dealership starts it... we should also be getting a dodge, and i was under the impression we were getting a saturn here too...

it'll be like a super size certios auto mall

[Flybrian]

In Florida, but similar situations have happened.

Bert Smith Oldsmobile where our 1979 LeSabre was from used to be Olds and a limited VW outlet. Now, their main showroom is BMW/Subaru/Porsche/MINI/Volkswagen and their old Diesel Center across US19 is their 'prestige collection.'

Lokey Oldsmobile was a fixture of Clearwater for decades, the first Olds retailer in the area in 1952 I believe and also where the first Saturn ever was sold. This is where our '87 Toro and my '96 Aurora also originally came from. After Olds closed, it became Lokey Mitsubishi with Lokey Saturn where Lokey Used Olds used to be across Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. Now, Lokey Saturn is using the Olds showroom and Mitsu is housed in a double-wide portable trailer (where it should be), but they've since concentrated on Lokey Nissan/Kia/VW miles north.

Scott Buick closed its St. Petersburg satellite location a few years ago, and Stone/Dick Norris Buick closed the original downtown location ~2000. However, its a B-P-GMC franchise and they've recently purchased an old Sunset/Autoway Pontiac-GMC location, so that's encouraging.

[Nick]

is thst Rusnak Chrysler?  That's where my leBaron was from..

There's a Rusnak Chrysler? Crazy...the only Rusnak I know of sells BMW's/Porsche's/Audis and other high end marks...Their main dealership is in my town, and I know there is another one somewhere else, but that one is also a BMW dealership...had no idea there was another Rusnak...

[Newbiewar]

the problem in the car business is that dealerships change ownerships so quickly, because of poor management they fail... its a common thing... thats why you got to find a good dealership to work for... one that has things paid for, and is looking to expand

[tmp]

There's a Rusnak Chrysler?

They are in the west valley too? I only ever knew them as being in Pasadena. But I pretty much stick to a few miles around Beverly Hills/ Santa Monica and Pasadena.

I guess Rusnak Chrysler is still there but I guess it's called Pasadena Chrysler now.

[rivieraranch]

In Southeast Florida, specifically Pompano Beach, the Tom Endicott franchise gave up their Buick franchise to Sheehan. This is a good development. The sales manager there seems relatively straightforward. You could never make a deal with the greedy pigs who ran the front office at Endicott, though. It is a shame because they had some very decent, knowledgeable older salesman there. Endicott became old and rotten; good riddance!

In West Palm Beach there is Schumacher, a great dealer, especially in their service department.

In east Ft. Lauderdale there is King Motors, a dealer that took on Buick with a "New York" attitude.

In west Ft. Lauderdale there is Ed Morse Sawgrass, a nasty dealer with a subpar service department.

I would look for a car in Miami. It is not even worth it.

[Sixty8panther]

The former site of my dealer$h! (that I worked at before they moved to River Road) has been for lease for 4 years. The other day a sign went up saying ti was now going ot be Volvo Rentals.

[buyacargetacheck]

In Southeast Florida, specifically Pompano Beach, the Tom Endicott franchise gave up their Buick franchise to Sheehan. This is a good development. The sales manager there seems relatively straightforward. You could never make a deal with the greedy pigs who ran the front office at Endicott, though. It is a shame because they had some very decent, knowledgeable older salesman there. Endicott became old and rotten; good riddance!

In West Palm Beach there is Schumacher, a great dealer, especially in their service department.

In east Ft. Lauderdale there is King Motors, a dealer that took on Buick with a "New York" attitude.

In west Ft. Lauderdale there is Ed Morse Sawgrass, a nasty dealer with a subpar service department.

I would look for a car in Miami. It is not even worth it.

Don't forget Ralph Buick which was bought by Sherwood Pontiac-GMC across the street. If I recall correctly "Sherwood" himself is actually Sherwood Sheehan, the same Sheehan from Ft. Lauderdale.

[Matt276]

Well, I think I'm not surprised. Where I live GM-Ford-DCX are bleeding. Sales are so down that I think many will close down. Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and the Korean dealerships are getting bigger.

There is a Toyota in every driveway right now.

The end is near. Sad but true.

[haypops]

...Their main dealership is in my town, and I know there is another one somewhere else, but that one is also a BMW dealership...had no idea there was another Rusnak...

No their main dealership is in MY town. How possesive of me. In Pasadena they sell Rools, Bentley, Jaguar, Mercedes, Volvo, and of course the Chrysler dealership. If you watch the Rose Parade on New Year's DAy they are located right around that bend/corner in the street that the floats seem to have so much trouble negotiating.

[haypops]

donno, but i think we'll be getting one over here in puente hills...

puente is about to turn into a massive auto mall...  although its close to whittier, i think the whittier one will be closing or moving over to puente hills...

The local newspaper/rag (The Pasadena Star News) ran an article on Saturn of Whittier and they rebuilt their showroom, etc. There sales were up almost 100% last year. They own the B-P-GMC dealer across the street which has been there a hundred years (kidding). I don't think they will be moving, but yes La Puente seems to be a commer.

[haypops]

Well, I think I'm not surprised. Where I live GM-Ford-DCX are bleeding. Sales are so down that I think many will close down. Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and the Korean dealerships are getting bigger.

There is a Toyota in every driveway right now.

The end is near. Sad but true.

Good comment. Only part of my post was to vent, the other part was to start a discussion of the effect of sales on the number of sales outlets, and the number of sales outlets effect on sales. A viscious circle.

[rivieraranch]

Don't forget Ralph Buick which was bought by Sherwood Pontiac-GMC across the street.  If I recall correctly "Sherwood" himself is actually Sherwood Sheehan, the same Sheehan from Ft. Lauderdale.

Well, damn me to hell for also forgetting Pembroke Pines Buick, Pontiac, GMC (and they have a Lexus store right next to it!

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

I'm sure we'll see a lot of dealers abandoning the domestics... After all those "cool" prissy people on the west coast don't buy domestic and GM has almost been milked dry. Time to LEACH on to another cash cow.

[buyacargetacheck]

I'm sure we'll see a lot of dealers abandoning the domestics... After all those "cool" prissy people on the west coast don't buy domestic and GM has almost been milked dry. Time to LEACH on to another cash cow.

It's not just "prissy" west coasters (whatever that means). The Southeast and Northeast gave it up a long time ago to the Japanese and Germans. GM only has itself to blame for not being cool. As far as the dealers go, it's surprising more haven't left GM. Money talks, bs walks - been the same in any business endeavor for a long time.

By the way dude, no offense, but your avatar is really freaky. If I saw that coming towards me on the street I'd punch it in the nose.

[haypops]

The Southeast and Northeast gave it up a long time ago to the Japanese and Germans.  GM only has itself to blame for not being cool. 

Actually the Southeast sales district is Toyota's most profitable by a whole bunch. So its not us prissy west coasters, but rather the red necks that are to blame (if there were any thing to blame any ONE about).