GM Dealers

We were musing about what happened to some if not all GM dealers. Right under our noses, we drive by them regularly changes happened.

Where we live, there was a Pontiac/Buick dealer, a Chevrolet/Oldsmobile dealer, approximately 7 kilometers "up the road" there was another Pontiac/Buick dealer and another Chevrolet/Oldsmobile dealer. Yes...in a 10 kilometer radius in 2 different tows there were 4 GM dealers. 

This made sense when GM had 50% of the market, and there was a GM dealer at every corner or close. 

The first thing that went was Oldsmobile a few years ago, the Chevrolet/Oldsmobile dealers became Chevrolet dealers. At some point GM embarked on their "image program" and slowly the dealers rejuvenated their facades, with the 2 Chevrolet dealers doing extensive renovations. 

By the time GM announced that Pontiac was being eliminated, as you drive by, you begin to wonder what will happen to the Pontiac dealers, and on a slightly bigger picture what will happen to the 4 dealers in these 2 municipalities. 

One Pontiac dealer, probably the instant it reached an agreement with GM, quickly wound down its business, with the facilities quickly used to represent a Korean manufacturer. Yes...the Pontiac dealer became a Korean dealer almost overnight.

In the other municipality the Chevrolet dealer stopped representing GM, and the Pontiac/Buick dealer became/morphed into a Buick/GMC dealer. The Chevrolet dealer which had done extensive renovations, is no longer a Chevrolet dealer, wonder what sort of consideration this dealer received?

Now in both municipalities GM has 2 dealers, Ford has 2 dealers, Chrysler has 2 dealers, one Korean manufacturer has 2 dealers, Toyota has 2 dealers.

Its interesting to read about the ongoing turmoil in the GM dealer body, while its going on as we drive by to conduct our daily lives.

Some points:

• The Korean manufacturer acquired immediate representation.
• The 2 remaining GM dealers have less internal GM competition.
• Surely some sales reps from the closed GM dealers probably migrated to the remaining two.
• You have to wonder how many GM dealers in other locations became Korean dealers.
• Does GM expect to win customers to Cadillac in "warmed over" premises, when the competition has glass palaces? Just a thought.

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