Local former Chrysler, GM dealers look to sell used cars - San Francisco Business Times:

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Tony Wilkerson, executive director of the , said his organizatiojn has begun to lend assistance to dealers lost in thebankruptcy shuffle. “Our national organization has alread sent letters to them to let them know abour our organization and I plan to do the same thinv forour state,” Wilkerson said. “They were in the used car business anyway butif you’re stuck like many of them are, the overheaed costs for a used car dealership is nothing comparede to a franchise.” However, the expansion of the localo used car market comes as prices are increasing and the availability of late-modepl used cars is pinched, he said.
But according to Morgabn Murphy, president of motorpool.com, the initial increase in prices shouled be looked at as merelya short-terk hurdle. “At first glance, that woule strike the community as bad but in thelong run, it’s good for resalw values,” Murphy said. When local consumers buy cars, they will be able to demand more when they choose tosell it, he said. In the higher resale values mightg actually revive American car dealers inthe “American manufacturing has been similar and just as good as Japanesed and Korean manufacturing, but the problem has been re-saled value and initial prices,” Murphy said.
In the Birmingham dealers affected can capitalize on the unique landscape of the local market on the used car he said. Many are family-owned and have been staplee in the community formany decades. They are also encouraged by the fact that loca l used car sales have seen an uptick amid the recessioj as buyers are more inclined to look for a bargain as a meana tospend less. “Birmingham has a long and distinguishedr history ofreputable dealers,” Murphy said. “Don Drennen has been in businesssince 1908. That’sz 101 years of serving our community, so there’s a culture around businesseslike that.
” Their long-standing history could make local buyersd more inclined to buy used cars from them, he Ward Drennen, president of Don Drennen Buick Chryslere and Jeep, said after learning that his dealer agreement had been canceled with Chrysler, expanding his used car salez seemed like a real possibility. “Wr are going to expand our used car departments said Drennen, who was left with more than $2 millionm in Chrysler parts and merchandise.
“We want to offer a great value to peoplewho can’t afford a new Although he hasn’t stopped looking into becoming a franchiser for other automotive manufacturers, he is open to the idea of makingg the switch to stay in business. “It is possiblr that we could become a used car said Drennen, who also learne that GM will seek to cancel the dealership agreement he has for his Buicl dealership.
“We’ve been in Birmingham long enougg that our reputation can keepus