For all of our readers living on the coastal states of the USA, take a look around. How many Chevys, Buicks, Caddys or GMCs do you see any given day (sans your own GM vehicle, if you have one)? Chances are, you don’t see nearly as many as you would if you were to take a journey to the likes of any Great Lakes state. There are plenty of reasons as to why GM vehicles are scarce on the coasts, but GM North American president Mark Reuss believes a big reason could be the company’s coastal dealer network.
Reuss hints that a solution could be on the way for coastal dealerships, indicating a possible relocation for some in order to more effectively target consumers.
“Not in all cases is it adding dealers, it would be getting the dealer that may be in that place in the right place,” Reuss said.
Source: The Detroit News
Comments
Ninety percent profitable is impressive. Ruess knows what to do. Good man at the helm to aid ackerson and the board.
Akerson won’t be there for much longer. Maybe a year tops. He’s definitely an IPO puppet; once that’s over with — he’ll be gone and give the reigns to someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
But I’m concerned that they still haven’t figured out a definitive strategy or position for Buick. What is it? Who does it compete with? What’s its target audience? Hopefully Reuss is asking these questions.
dont see any in the costal area, huh??? why isn’t government motors everybodys favorite car in the costal areas is beyond imagination? dont know how that could happen. maybe people are still tired of gm that the new government motors just can’t seem to git rid of. Or maybe its just that people think of gm like the british,english,etc think of British Leyand.
Never mind the 1,000 fewer Toyota dealers, one big reason the Japanese cars are tough to compete with is because they LOOK better. I bought a Cobalt for a desperate relative a few years ago (I’m paying so I’m pickin’) and she looked ascance at it. Her Mother made the comment that I wasn’t driving something that looked like that. But I have a Duramax Silverado that a tree fell on (50 feet of eucalyptus, you know what that weighs?) and after a few hours with a chainsaw I drove it off, just like a TV commercial. So I definitely think of the VEHICLES as being solid. It’s the business decisions that aren’t sound.
The truck was 7 1/2 years old when I had to have it towed to my Fullerton dealer for the first time, where I was able to walk to and from. When the now 10 year old truck broke down again, my local dealer was GONE. We still have a Toyota dealer in Fullerton, as well as a Ford dealer. I was on the eve of finally ordering my Camaro, put off to buy the relative a car and another relative a 2500 like mine (But no diesel) but I suffered a Halloween surprise: We never believed the day would really come, but cooler heads did not intervene.
When we bought the Cobalt, the lot near my relative had 60 to choose from. I was told of GM’s insistence that dealers had to “Help out,” so they kept buying up the cars. GM was going to “Remember” who did and who didn’t. That dealer that helped out wasn’t remembered. Nor was I remembered. I brought about the purchase of two Chevys in the last 2 1/2 years, with 2 of my own supposed to be on the way.. I look around and see a lot of Chevys and other American cars in my Southern California town. With some of the demands I’m about to start making of the truck (Hauling a Solstice SSB racecar over distances) I think it’s time for a new one. It’s also time for GM to start remembering. And start by bringing back my Chevy dealer.
See the truck under the tree:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6Pq6GNhQwHQ/SZL2_xy6WKI/AAAAAAAABpo/OASNMwRQZjE/s1600-h/eucalyptus.jpg
And remember what REALLY built the American auto industry:
http://boscotheblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/indys-30-days-in-may-starts-today.html
Indy was once won by a man named Gaston Chevrolet, the name being no coincidence.
-DOUG-