Brand New GT500 Anyone
- Thread starter nota4re
- Start date
tmcphail
GT Owner/Vendor
H
HHGT
Guest
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
AtomicGT
GT Owner
One of my patients use to work for them, They had several days in Dec they did not sell one car at any of the 6 dealerships.
cudacharlie
Well-known member
Here's my tale of witnessing doom and destruction in the dealership world...
My local Dodge dealer, Westoaks Dodge, is one of the west coast's largest Mopar performance parts dealers, with displays at the Mopar Spring Fling, etc. I drove by there two days ago to happily plunk down full pop for a loaded new Challenger when I heard the order bank was open for the SRT8 Spring Special in B5 blue, only to find them CLOSED. Out of business. Goodbye. Ohhhh-kayyyy....
So I drove around the block (this is in an auto-mall-type area of Thousand Oaks, CA) to Courtesy Chevrolet to see what Z06s they had lying around... and.... GONE. Out of business after 40 or 60 years or something. With a name like "Courtesy Chevrolet" you just know they had to have been there since the 1960's, and now... poof.
Local paper said the loss of these two dealerships represents a loss of $6m per annum in local sales tax revenue.... whoa.
I know that Westoaks had been bought out by Rusnak (a dealership chain) about six months ago, and would re-open quickly as a used car lot, but I don't know the story behind Courtesy Chevrolet.
I drove by another local dealer, Dependable Dodge (the owner's pink 1970 Challenger convertible resto-mod sits in the showroom, and was on the cover of Mopar Muscle a couple months back...), and chatted with a salesman who assured me that they were okay, as they were family-owned and had relatively small and "safe" (mostly basic work trucks) inventory. He did reveal that they've only sold one or two cars a week for the past few weeks, instead of 5-10 a day, and most of these have been scheduled purchases of work trucks and fleet vehicles and so forth. Walk-ins are non-existent. He couldn't believe someone (me) had driven up and started looking at all the Challengers. Woke him right up.
You know, I just bought my SRT8 Magnum at the end of a 3-year lease for only $22k. In 24k miles it's been a great car, with no rattles or problems, wife-scaring power, smoky burnouts, brick-on-rails handling, 4-person ski-weekend capability (heated seats!), good NAV.... call me a sucker but I thought it was a steal at $42k sticker three years ago, especially when compared to the much more middle-to-low-range models of German steel that the same money would have bought. Not like I was trying to be cheap and avoid spending $80k on a German DD, but something about the big honkin' black wagon with a 6.1 hemi, Brembos, and 20's just appealed to me. I reckon it's a good car for the bucks; I think the same about the Challenger, and I'll happily pay full pop ($43k-ish) for a loaded SRT8, especially in a cool color. Besides, a base Magnum or Challenger is like $22k new... not too bad a deal either.
More and more lately, I feel like saying (or maybe singing?) to people that bash the big 3, "Have you DRIVEN a Ford/Chevy/Dodge lately?" I have minor issues with plasticy Chevy interiors, but... so what? GM knobs are big on purpose, so Minnesotans can work the stereo with mittens on!
I will be absolutely heartbroken if any one of the 3 fails or is forced to merge to stay afloat. I think the industrial landscape comprised of sturdy, prudent Ford; cheaper, bigger, slightly dumber GM; and the mad-genius-slash-drunken-uncle that is Chrysler, is a great environment for invention and competition.
I know that the landscape will inevitably change, but, in the words of cute internet kitty pics....
I has a sad.
:frown
okay, sad rant off. Back on topic, $40k for a GT500 is a steal! Maybe the blue Challenger will have to wait a couple of weeks.... Galpin's only a couple of miles away, I'll report back on what colors they have in stock...if they're still in business by the time I get there. Then again, maybe I should stay away... 2 out of 3 dealerships have gone out of business as I drove up, maybe I'm jinxed!
My local Dodge dealer, Westoaks Dodge, is one of the west coast's largest Mopar performance parts dealers, with displays at the Mopar Spring Fling, etc. I drove by there two days ago to happily plunk down full pop for a loaded new Challenger when I heard the order bank was open for the SRT8 Spring Special in B5 blue, only to find them CLOSED. Out of business. Goodbye. Ohhhh-kayyyy....
So I drove around the block (this is in an auto-mall-type area of Thousand Oaks, CA) to Courtesy Chevrolet to see what Z06s they had lying around... and.... GONE. Out of business after 40 or 60 years or something. With a name like "Courtesy Chevrolet" you just know they had to have been there since the 1960's, and now... poof.
Local paper said the loss of these two dealerships represents a loss of $6m per annum in local sales tax revenue.... whoa.
I know that Westoaks had been bought out by Rusnak (a dealership chain) about six months ago, and would re-open quickly as a used car lot, but I don't know the story behind Courtesy Chevrolet.
I drove by another local dealer, Dependable Dodge (the owner's pink 1970 Challenger convertible resto-mod sits in the showroom, and was on the cover of Mopar Muscle a couple months back...), and chatted with a salesman who assured me that they were okay, as they were family-owned and had relatively small and "safe" (mostly basic work trucks) inventory. He did reveal that they've only sold one or two cars a week for the past few weeks, instead of 5-10 a day, and most of these have been scheduled purchases of work trucks and fleet vehicles and so forth. Walk-ins are non-existent. He couldn't believe someone (me) had driven up and started looking at all the Challengers. Woke him right up.
You know, I just bought my SRT8 Magnum at the end of a 3-year lease for only $22k. In 24k miles it's been a great car, with no rattles or problems, wife-scaring power, smoky burnouts, brick-on-rails handling, 4-person ski-weekend capability (heated seats!), good NAV.... call me a sucker but I thought it was a steal at $42k sticker three years ago, especially when compared to the much more middle-to-low-range models of German steel that the same money would have bought. Not like I was trying to be cheap and avoid spending $80k on a German DD, but something about the big honkin' black wagon with a 6.1 hemi, Brembos, and 20's just appealed to me. I reckon it's a good car for the bucks; I think the same about the Challenger, and I'll happily pay full pop ($43k-ish) for a loaded SRT8, especially in a cool color. Besides, a base Magnum or Challenger is like $22k new... not too bad a deal either.
More and more lately, I feel like saying (or maybe singing?) to people that bash the big 3, "Have you DRIVEN a Ford/Chevy/Dodge lately?" I have minor issues with plasticy Chevy interiors, but... so what? GM knobs are big on purpose, so Minnesotans can work the stereo with mittens on!
I will be absolutely heartbroken if any one of the 3 fails or is forced to merge to stay afloat. I think the industrial landscape comprised of sturdy, prudent Ford; cheaper, bigger, slightly dumber GM; and the mad-genius-slash-drunken-uncle that is Chrysler, is a great environment for invention and competition.
I know that the landscape will inevitably change, but, in the words of cute internet kitty pics....
I has a sad.
:frown
okay, sad rant off. Back on topic, $40k for a GT500 is a steal! Maybe the blue Challenger will have to wait a couple of weeks.... Galpin's only a couple of miles away, I'll report back on what colors they have in stock...if they're still in business by the time I get there. Then again, maybe I should stay away... 2 out of 3 dealerships have gone out of business as I drove up, maybe I'm jinxed!
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Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
I shared with another 'Forum member this afternoon that my own local Chrys dealer STILL wants an $8K premium for a Challenger RT - not the SRT8! - the lil' brother RT!
"Planet earth to local folks...planet earth to local folks. Come in local folks..."
fjpikul
GT Owner
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
- Aug 25, 2006
- 4,436
So I might as well share another tale
Dodge has not delivered Vipers that were deposit based customer ordered the fall of last year however Dodge now is allowing the dealers to take orders (with a signed may not be able to be delivered disclaimer) for a car that they IMO know they likely will not build.
Now they are doing this even though the assembly line for Viper has been closed for months and if to open again is not projected to do so until June at which time they will be tending to the orders from last year.
Locally; meaning within 100 miles 6 Ford dealerships as well as several other marquees have closed during the past few months and the rumor is that others are soon to follow.
Certainly the shakeup is well underway and yet the dust IMO has far from settled as such many more folks are likely to be hurt.
This being said, there is no doubt that for those comfortably able to do so this is in the truest sense a buyer’s market unlike we have ever seen. The new gals need to be sold/given away or a major component of the economy comes to a stretching halt; in fact already has for many. The existing 2008/2009 inventory spread amongst of all marquees collecting dust is phenomenal.
Truly a very disturbing time because IMO the heart ache and loss experienced by many during these times far outweighs any benefits afforded the few.
Shadowman
Dodge has not delivered Vipers that were deposit based customer ordered the fall of last year however Dodge now is allowing the dealers to take orders (with a signed may not be able to be delivered disclaimer) for a car that they IMO know they likely will not build.
Now they are doing this even though the assembly line for Viper has been closed for months and if to open again is not projected to do so until June at which time they will be tending to the orders from last year.
Locally; meaning within 100 miles 6 Ford dealerships as well as several other marquees have closed during the past few months and the rumor is that others are soon to follow.
Certainly the shakeup is well underway and yet the dust IMO has far from settled as such many more folks are likely to be hurt.
This being said, there is no doubt that for those comfortably able to do so this is in the truest sense a buyer’s market unlike we have ever seen. The new gals need to be sold/given away or a major component of the economy comes to a stretching halt; in fact already has for many. The existing 2008/2009 inventory spread amongst of all marquees collecting dust is phenomenal.
Truly a very disturbing time because IMO the heart ache and loss experienced by many during these times far outweighs any benefits afforded the few.
Shadowman
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
Neilda
GT Owner
It's of no consolation, but the UK is in the same boat - car dealerships going out of business, car manufacturers going under too.....
I took my GT out of the garage yesterday for the first time in months, let it idle for 10 minutes or so, washed and dried it.... beautiful car.....
It made me wonder if such a fabulous car would ever, could ever, be made again.
I took my GT out of the garage yesterday for the first time in months, let it idle for 10 minutes or so, washed and dried it.... beautiful car.....
It made me wonder if such a fabulous car would ever, could ever, be made again.
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
Oh, sure there will. But it quite likely won't be in your lifetime or mine now.
(I remember the same question being asked in the 1970's re: muscle cars.)
Not likely.
Gentlemen,
Everybody has a different definition of fabulous. As regards the Ford GT this would include the history and the personalities of the Ford Motor Company and its racing heritage. An updated and improved version of a model last produced over 40 years ago with some common members involved in an engineering an advisory mode on both cars! (Carroll Shelby and Dan Gurney are two that come to mind) As regulatory requirements ratchet ever higher and with the astronomical development costs involved, I'm pretty certain that producing an updated street legal version of a vintage race car with a production run of only four figures won't ever be possible again. Even if Ford had an unlimited amount of money and wished to do so, impact standards that became mandatory just days after the last Ford GTs were produced render our car's design unproducible today. Perhaps a modern version of the Shelby Cobra is feasible, and I still have fantasies about that Shelby GR-1, but during my lifetime I believe the Ford GT is a high water mark that will not be eclipsed.
Chip
Gentlemen,
Everybody has a different definition of fabulous. As regards the Ford GT this would include the history and the personalities of the Ford Motor Company and its racing heritage. An updated and improved version of a model last produced over 40 years ago with some common members involved in an engineering an advisory mode on both cars! (Carroll Shelby and Dan Gurney are two that come to mind) As regulatory requirements ratchet ever higher and with the astronomical development costs involved, I'm pretty certain that producing an updated street legal version of a vintage race car with a production run of only four figures won't ever be possible again. Even if Ford had an unlimited amount of money and wished to do so, impact standards that became mandatory just days after the last Ford GTs were produced render our car's design unproducible today. Perhaps a modern version of the Shelby Cobra is feasible, and I still have fantasies about that Shelby GR-1, but during my lifetime I believe the Ford GT is a high water mark that will not be eclipsed.
Chip
BlackICE
GT Owner
CH53Driver
Shelby GT500 owner
Chip brings up a really good point and a question that I have always wanted answering. I love the Ford GT but am not at a point in my life where I can afford one. I have always wondered if they (Ford) would consider making another one down the road. Of course, I understand you can only make a car like this once in a lifetime, but man I was hoping that Ford would consider making these or something similar again in the future. Sadly, especially with the move towards being green etc, I just don't see a mainstream manufacturer making cars like these in the future. I think supercars will become the realm of only the exotics, like Ferrari and Aston Martin. What a shame.