Another dealer death!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,591
Likes: 2
From: kent ct - "if i'm not in the vette, i damn well better be on the yacht."
St. Jude Donor '13
Another dealer death!
I found out today that Bennett Chevrolet in New Milford, Ct., is closing it's doors next month...
They have hosted the Candlewood Valley Corvette's get-together for a couple of years now... Gees, When's it going to end
??? The outlook is not good...
They have hosted the Candlewood Valley Corvette's get-together for a couple of years now... Gees, When's it going to end??? The outlook is not good...
Pro
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 732
Likes: 3
From: Maryland
A couple of weeks ago Bob Smith Automotive in Easton Maryland was seized by GMAC. They were the largest GM,Chevy and corvette dealer on the Eastern Shore. They had over 200 new cars on the lot to inlude 10 vettes when GMAC seized the building. There must have been over 30 car carriers lined up along the highway loading up cars. The owner was taken to the local hospital for a mental evaluation.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,187
Likes: 309
From: SIMSBURY CT
St. Jude Donor '07 thru '25
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 26,900
Likes: 2
From: Bann Camp & N.Y.C.
St. Jude Donor '08
A couple of weeks ago Bob Smith Automotive in Easton Maryland was seized by GMAC. They were the largest GM,Chevy and corvette dealer on the Eastern Shore. They had over 200 new cars on the lot to inlude 10 vettes when GMAC seized the building. There must have been over 30 car carriers lined up along the highway loading up cars. The owner was taken to the local hospital for a mental evaluation.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,206
Likes: 8
From: Belmar NJ
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 124,318
Likes: 283
From: .... NJ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '19
There are too many dealers, GM does not sell enough cars anymore to justify so many. Oldsmobile is gone, next will be Saturn and Pontiac. This is just Darwinism.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Racer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 408
Likes: 1
From: Central NJ
St. Jude Donor '10
I lost mine... Laffin Chevrolet...I purchased my Z28 there. It was my first car and still have it! Unfortunately I didn't purchase my Corvette from them because they didn't get used ones in. They were of rare breed... Extremely honest fully knowledgeable people. They were in the small town of south river NJ. There service department was awesome and very kind. They would always treat me well. I serviced my Z28 there since I purchased it and when I purchased my Vette I had them take care of all the oil changes and servicing. I like them because it was personal. It was a family owned business for 80 years! It's a huge loss to the community and to myself and everyone else that actually enjoyed going there for servicing.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,275
Likes: 226
From: Farmington CT
Cruise-In VII Veteran
, I say ditch Saturn and keep the G8 under the Holden nameplateWe lost:
1. Parsons, Farmington
2. Crowley, West Hartford (Cway dealer in NE)
3. Windsor, forgot name
4. Vernon, forgot name
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,591
Likes: 2
From: kent ct - "if i'm not in the vette, i damn well better be on the yacht."
St. Jude Donor '13
'course this is just the GM dealers. The others are also dropping like flies. Surely a tough spiral to get up out of.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 249
Likes: 10
From: Turnersville, NJ
Dealerships Closing
Weed Chevrolet in Bristol, Pa is closing also, or already has closed. After being in business since 1928 they were forced to close their dealership. Back in the mid 90's I had an air brush touch-up business and used cars were the primary vehicles that I worked on. Weed Chevrolet was my very first customer and also the favorite one that I had. Weed Chevrolet is a family owned business and treated the vendors that they associated with, just like they were a part of their own family.
Very nice people who were hurt by a not so nice economy and GM leaving them hanging. I understand that GM has their own problems to deal with at this time, but they also stood idle and watched these dealerships close one after another. Their fiduciary duty to these dealerships seems to have been ignored. When this is all over, the dealership landscape as we know it now, will be much different and probably not for the better. The survival of the fittest is the norm now. I hope the Weed family comes out strong in their next endeavor. Good people deserve that.
Very nice people who were hurt by a not so nice economy and GM leaving them hanging. I understand that GM has their own problems to deal with at this time, but they also stood idle and watched these dealerships close one after another. Their fiduciary duty to these dealerships seems to have been ignored. When this is all over, the dealership landscape as we know it now, will be much different and probably not for the better. The survival of the fittest is the norm now. I hope the Weed family comes out strong in their next endeavor. Good people deserve that.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,136
Likes: 7
From: queens Newyork
Hmm also hustedt chevy on Jericho tpke closed a while ago, It was the only place that listened when my polished thin spoke
got stress cracks, they got gm to replace the cracked one for free, all of the other dealers told me it was a clear coat crack....
got stress cracks, they got gm to replace the cracked one for free, all of the other dealers told me it was a clear coat crack....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 778
Likes: 27
From: Langhorne Pa
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
As with Weed Chevrolet in Bristol,Pa. Stockburger Chevrolet in Newtown,Pa. was forced to close, there Chrysler store is still open operating out of the Chev Store. When will this stop?
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 124,318
Likes: 283
From: .... NJ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '19
...
Very nice people who were hurt by a not so nice economy and GM leaving them hanging. I understand that GM has their own problems to deal with at this time, but they also stood idle and watched these dealerships close one after another. Their fiduciary duty to these dealerships seems to have been ignored. When this is all over, the dealership landscape as we know it now, will be much different and probably not for the better. The survival of the fittest is the norm now. I hope the Weed family comes out strong in their next endeavor. Good people deserve that.
Very nice people who were hurt by a not so nice economy and GM leaving them hanging. I understand that GM has their own problems to deal with at this time, but they also stood idle and watched these dealerships close one after another. Their fiduciary duty to these dealerships seems to have been ignored. When this is all over, the dealership landscape as we know it now, will be much different and probably not for the better. The survival of the fittest is the norm now. I hope the Weed family comes out strong in their next endeavor. Good people deserve that.
From what I have heard and read over that past few years that is intentional. GM wants the number of dealers to be reduced, if they had it their way they we revoke franchises but I think there is some law out there that prohibits them from doing that.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 249
Likes: 10
From: Turnersville, NJ
You're right, the manufacturers are looking to downsize their exposure in the market. After paying a very high price for a franchise a dealership deserves the proper support from the manufacturer. It's a shame that GM stood by and watched these dealerships dissolve after they helped GM become GM. If GM had to subsidize the dealerships demise it would have cost them ... so yes, they just watched it happen.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 124,318
Likes: 283
From: .... NJ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '19
The sad part is it appears that all the small family owned dealerships are the ones that are going under. These are the dealerships that gave personalized service and wanted repeat customers.
Now we are going to be left with corporate owned auto malls where there is a lot of churn with personal who don’t care about repeat customers since they are not building a personnel relationship. If you have an issue good luck in finding the owners to talk to in one of theses big auto malls to resolve it.
Now we are going to be left with corporate owned auto malls where there is a lot of churn with personal who don’t care about repeat customers since they are not building a personnel relationship. If you have an issue good luck in finding the owners to talk to in one of theses big auto malls to resolve it.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 249
Likes: 10
From: Turnersville, NJ
The sad part is it appears that all the small family owned dealerships are the ones that are going under. These are the dealerships that gave personalized service and wanted repeat customers.
Now we are going to be left with corporate owned auto malls where there is a lot of churn with personal who don’t care about repeat customers since they are not building a personnel relationship. If you have an issue good luck in finding the owners to talk to in one of theses big auto malls to resolve it.
Now we are going to be left with corporate owned auto malls where there is a lot of churn with personal who don’t care about repeat customers since they are not building a personnel relationship. If you have an issue good luck in finding the owners to talk to in one of theses big auto malls to resolve it.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,466
Likes: 221
From: Sherman CT
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (stock)
St. Jude Donor '24-'25-'26
thats such a shame I enjoyed the car shows there, and the support to CVC was a good thing to happen to them.I sure hope things turn around soon.