“Auto dealers watch sales climb” |
| Auto dealers watch sales climb Posted: 01 Jan 2011 12:35 AM PST FORT WAYNE – Pent-up demand is playing a role in a year-end spike at Fort Wayne auto dealerships, officials say. Area sales staffs said some vehicle owners are getting anxious over 100,000-mile-plus odometer readings – and most are tired of hunkering down. "People have been holding off, but I think they are starting to come around to the idea that the economy and everything is going to eventually be fine," said Bob Bolen, general sales manager for Fort Wayne Kia. Bolen said the business is enjoying the best fourth quarter of its seven-year history. Kia, off Illinois Road in the auto mall, is known for its affordable lineup. The dealership sold 87 new cars in November and expects to top 100 this month. Those numbers represent a 150 percent increase compared with the same period a year ago, Bolen said. "When the recession first hit, people wanted to lower their car notes and were trading in gas guzzlers," he said. "We're not seeing so much of that anymore." The staff at O'Daniel Mazda on Illinois Road has kept busy the final two months of the year as well. "Consumer confidence is the main thing," said Julie Kimes, general sales manager at the dealership. "The banks also have lightened up. People are buying new and used cars." SweetCars, 2404 W. Jefferson Blvd., is a pre-owned luxury dealership that opened about three weeks ago but already has customers flocking there, said Drew Tynan, general manager. "I believe Fort Wayne was ready for something like this," he said of the operation that sells Maserati, Lamborghini, Bentley and other brands and unique low-mileage vehicles. "We've only been open a little while, but we're confident all of the traffic will translate into sales." Jeff Schuster, executive director of global forecasting at J.D. Power and Associates, said in a statement this month that automakers have a few things going in their favor. "The continuation of the strong performance in the retail market through December may be the confirmation that the industry has been looking for that the recovery has been re-engaged," he said. "The likelihood of an extension of the tax cuts, in addition to a strong close in 2010, bodes well for the automotive market in 2011." Fort Wayne motorist Julie Ottenweller said she is ready to buy. The education center business manager said her 2002 Toyota Sienna minivan has about 150,000 miles. "I'm getting afraid of it breaking down," Ottenweller said. "I just don't want to be out somewhere and get stranded." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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