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Historic dealers at risk: Stetler Dodge's sale to Jack Giambalvo puts original Dodge dealerships on the brink.(York Daily Record (PA) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 24--READ MORE: The view from Stetler's helm It's been a worry for some time, that industry trends toward consolidation would gobble up the last remaining "charter," or first, dealers of Dodge vehicles. "These are smaller dealers that have survived," said Richard Bowman, head of the WPC Club, a national auto club for the Chrysler family of vehicles. But having many smaller dealers out there selling cars has become a liability as Chrysler launches its Project Genesis. The project encourages consolidation of Chrysler-product dealers to save costs amid American automakers' battles with imports such as Honda and Toyota, which in recent months solidified their places on best-seller lists. As of about a decade ago, five charter Dodge dealers remained scattered throughout the country, many in small, out-of-the-way towns, according to the WPC Club. Bowman said he heard recently at least one, other than York's own Stetler Dodge, is still in business. But as for the fate of the last charter dealers, he does not know if any of them will last. At the very least, the list will be down to four soon. The move was prompted by Chrysler's Project Genesis. According to the rules outlined in the WPC News 10 years ago, at the time of its status report, Stetler would no longer qualify as a charter dealer. [email protected]; 771-2035 To see more of the York Daily Record, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ydr.com. Copyright (c) 2008, York Daily Record, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |