Everything you say is true.

However, I consider my doing business with our dealership to be a two-way "relationship".

If they want me to continue to come back and buy new cars every few years (ie daily drivers, etc)... I expect them to take care of me when I want to buy a pleasure vehicle like a Corvette.

I don't care if it is brand new or hot or not... myself, and my immediate family, purchase many, many cars from our dealership.

If they decide they don't want to be civil with pricing on a car like this, they knwo they will lose a lot more business than if they just act responsibly with the Corvette pricing.

My in-laws, and my wife and I have purchased the following brand new cars over the last 2 - 2 1/2 years alone:

Me: 2004 GTO
My wife: 2004 Grand Prix GTP
My father-in-law: 2004 GMC Sierra HD2500 4x4
My mother-in-law: 2003 Impala LS.
My "grandfather-in-law": 2003 Grand Prix GT
My brother-in-law: 2004 Grand Prix GT
Me: 2002 Monte Carlo SS
My father-in-law: Silverado 2500 4x4
My Wife: 2001 Monte Carlo SS
My Wife: 2001 Blazer LT 4x4

So... what is the smart move for the dealeship to make? Anger me by trying to mark up or not reasonably deal on a single car, even if it is "hot" and risk losing the above volume of business.... or act responsibly on the Corvette pricing and know that a happy customer and his family will keep coming back?


I think the answer is obvious...

 

Corvettes are always considered a special vehicle to a dealership, and often times they are mandated by the owners of the company a minimum selling point. Only half of the cars you have listed there are Chevy's. And only two that would be directly connected with your household.

If the dealership sells both Chevy's AND Pointiac/GMCs, and you keep a good relationship there where the people know you by name, then it could make sense for them to make a small exception for you. I just don't think it would be right to be angry with them if they couldn't go back of their minimum selling point. This all just MHO, though.

 

Yes, the dealership we buy from runs the full compliment of GM's brands.... well, prior to Saab/Saturn and Hummer anyway... they are a Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, GMC dealership. This makes it very nice for us, as we are able to select from basically the full palette of GM's offerings.

All the vehciles listed above we bought new from them. And I think between the wife and I, purchasing 5 new cars in 2 - 21/2 years is quite substantial.

Anyway you look at it... ya, they COULD probably sell the Corvette for more and make a better profit on that sale... however, if they do so, they risk losing that amount several times over in profit over just the next 3 years or so...

As a side note, I certainly do not expect "undoable" deals... just fair ones.

 

Wait a second.

The more Vettes you move the better your allocation gets, right?

 

Yes, but that is a slow process. There is a balacne to your pricing versus current volume. Otherwise, you have absolutely nothing to sell. It's that fine line that supply/demand runs along.

 

Alta Loma....do you work at Mark Christopher? Just curious.

 

No, I'm over at Clippinger in Covina as of now. I might be giving Mark Christopher a call soon, as that would be a nice drive from me.