Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sports/GTs, Auction Action, Chevrolet
eBay Find of the Day: 2009 Camaro
- If you like this post, help us support itYou might recall some reports earlier this year of dealers accepting down payments on the new Camaro after the concept debuted. Those dealers were "asked" by GM to remove such a program and return any money that had been received. The reason stated at the time was that the Camaro hadn't been given the green light as of yet, hence it was irresponsible to sell a car that might not even be produced.
Well, now that the prospect of the General not building the Camaro has been debunked, it's open season and the first to take advantage is Lyons, Illinois car dealer Jack Phelan.
The enterprising salesman has posted an auction on eBay to allow pre-purchase of the first Camaro to arrive at his dealership. However, since a retail price has yet to be announced, the bidding isn't for the cost of the car per se, but the markup of the MSRP.
Starting bid is at $5,000 with a "Buy It Now" price of $20-large. Irresponsible profiteering or the free market at work? You decided in comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
bernie 11:11AM (8/11/2006)
Car dealers are jackasses. Those who can't do teach, those who can't do and have no ethics sell cars.
I hope GM busts him.
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Adam 11:17AM (8/11/2006)
Seems pretty stupid to me. This will be (at some point) a mass produced vehicle (not to mention that the majority sold will be V6s). It is not even like you are getting the first Camaro, just the first one at this specific dealership. No special VIN, no "firt off the line" status, just a extremly marked up car. I guess if you have money to waste...
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len simpson 11:20AM (8/11/2006)
stereotypical car peddler
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Steve S 11:20AM (8/11/2006)
Sucker born ever minute....
I'll wait until the get thebugs out after 2-3 years and see how good it is then. I bet GM will be plunking money down on the hood by then and I'll snap up a 2011 Camaro SS.
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dwayne 11:22AM (8/11/2006)
Do I like the new car? Oh, yeah. Am I going to give this fool and extra 20 grand and wait a year and a half? Oh, hell no.
This is so stupid.
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CanuckGreg 11:22AM (8/11/2006)
Same shit, different day. The same things happened with the Miata, the New Beetle, and endless other gotta have it now cars. After 6 months, they'll be selling for MSRP or less.
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Gardiner Westbound 11:31AM (8/11/2006)
Greedy car dealers have killed more than one brand.
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AZMike 11:31AM (8/11/2006)
some things to remember here, folks; I think we still do have the free-enterprise system in place.
I doubt if this dealer will be forcing anyone to place a bid on ebay, and there are plenty of people who would pay $20,000 for bragging rights for the first one.
it just goes to show the amazing interest by the public in keeping the Camaro nameplate alive.
do you think this would work for Toyota if they brought back the unforgettable Carina?
Mike
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Paulie the Pimp 11:32AM (8/11/2006)
He dipshits, just because some car dealers did this ( a stupid and unethical thing) doesn't mean all car dealers do this.
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John 11:32AM (8/11/2006)
Fire that asswhole
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guyincognito 11:38AM (8/11/2006)
Wouldn't it be funny if he didn't get a Camaro at his dealership until after the market was already saturated with them.
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David P B 11:39AM (8/11/2006)
I hate dealers as much as the next guy, but it about supply and demand. As long as there are dumbasses with way too much money (or too much credit) to waste on getting a car right now, there will be dealers that do it! Probably to the people bidding he is doing them a service.
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GDUB 11:40AM (8/11/2006)
Mullet Maddness.
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Hubkap 11:40AM (8/11/2006)
If the auction clearly states in several places in big bold letters that you're bidding on just bragging rights, and you need to tack the MSRP on top of your winning bid, I see nothing wrong with it.
This auction, however, almost sneaks it in the fine print... these asshats are hoping that some bloke with a short attention span thinks he's getting a car on the cheap. If they really wanted to be "honest" about it, there would be no specs of the car at all, as you're not bidding on the car. You're bidding on a place in line.
This dealership is no better than that electronics store that sold a picture of an X-box 360 on ebay for a few hundred dollars, with very very fine print on the bottom that you weren't bidding on the actual machine, just a picture.
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Yatrik 11:43AM (8/11/2006)
Shouldn't the people actually responsible for making a kick-ass car be the ones getting the ridiculous mark-up? This car seller had absolutely nothing to do with making the car, but he makes big bucks off of it? GM should set the MSRP at 80K for the first few months so it can benefit from the craze. Then bring it down to around $35K for the regular price. Ford should have done the same with the GT500. That car was selling for more then double the MSRP. So some car selling queer who was in the right place at the right time got $40K+, while the MSRP is just fowarded to Ford.
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GrowUp 11:44AM (8/11/2006)
"some things to remember here, folks; I think we still do have the free-enterprise system in place."
Duh, it's a free market. That doesn't make it smart, wise, or ethical. And, nobody proposed the govt. stepping in to regulate Camaro sales.
This is stupid. But then a fool and his money are easily parted.
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gkz 11:49AM (8/11/2006)
Every single one of you who condemns the dealer for doing this is a moron. If customers exist who are willing to pay a given price, ANY good businessman would raise his price to meet the demand.
An auction is one of the purest forms of a free market economy.
If you don't want to pay extra: SHUT UP AND DON'T BID ON IT. Wait a month or two and you'll be able to get one at MSRP or less... Stupid whiners.
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Presto 11:53AM (8/11/2006)
There's nothing wrong with car dealers trying to make a buck. Be mad at the fool stupid enough to bid on this auction.
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Dave in MI 11:54AM (8/11/2006)
This activity would not exist without the people stupid enough to bid on it. Likely someone else would relieve them of their money anyway.
We have telemarketers because, someone said "why, yes I do need some aluminum siding. Where do I send my money..."
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Eric 11:58AM (8/11/2006)
Free enterprise at its best. Yea, I said it. At it's best. The fact is that a seller can sell what he has for whatever the market is willing to bear. WHATEVER THE MARKET IS WILLING TO BEAR.
If you don't like that, move to a communist state and enjoy the benefits. We don't want you here anyway.
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