Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Norman, OK Chevy dealer sells rather than selling out [w/poll]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/27/norman-ok-chevy-dealer-sells-rather-than-selling-out-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/27/norman-ok-chevy-dealer-sells-rather-than-selling-out-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/27/norman-ok-chevy-dealer-sells-rather-than-selling-out-w-poll/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Marc Heitz Chevrolet

Just like any other retail store, car dealerships are as much about branding as they are about selling products. So when Marc Heitz decided to design his Chevrolet franchise to resemble more of an outdoor enthusiast store rather than a conventional Chevy dealer, General Motors stepped in by stopping payment of quarterly dealer bonuses to the tune of $250,000 each. Now, Automotive News is reporting that rather than redesigning the store or losing an estimated $1 million per year in bonuses, Heitz has instead sold his franchise to a cross-town rival, David Stanley Chevrolet.

Heitz had built his franchise into an attraction as well as a car dealership with unique features like a log-cabin facade, two dog runs and a 110-foot windmill outside and an aquarium, 45-foot tall waterfall and numerous animal statues inside; Chevrolet's design standards consist of a white-and-blue facade.

With annual sales expected to total more than 1,800 new cars this year (making it the 15th best-selling Chevy dealer in the US), we doubt that it will take too long for the new owner to redesign the dealership, which has been renamed David Stanley Chevrolet of Norman. The terms for the sale were not announced, but Heitz spent $20 million building the dealer in 2008.

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Norman, OK Chevy dealer sells rather than selling out [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevroletchevrolet dealershipchevrolet dealership log cabinchevychevy dealergeneral motorsgmmarc heitzmarc heitz chevroletThu, 27 Dec 2012 19:20:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20411686/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/12/27/norman-ok-chevy-dealer-sells-rather-than-selling-out-w-poll/20411686/article-detail.xml 20411686 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/heitz-chevy-dealership-628opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/heitz-chevy-dealership-628opt.jpg <![CDATA[Report: GM launching pair of low-pressure 'test' dealerships that offer competitor car drives]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/12/report-gm-launching-pair-of-low-pressure-test-dealerships-tha/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/12/report-gm-launching-pair-of-low-pressure-test-dealerships-tha/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/12/report-gm-launching-pair-of-low-pressure-test-dealerships-tha/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



A[nother] different kind of car company. A[nother] different kind of car. Apparently, as it once did with its Saturn division, General Motors is again fiddling with the tried-and-true dealership sales model by creating two separate new test programs that would potentially offer a low-pressure car buying environment.

One of them, a so-called Test Drive Studio, would be a "permanent or semi-permanent, minimally branded, brick-and-mortar" facility that would first appear in Chevrolet-centric areas such as Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Included amongst the newfangled features would be test drives in the Chevy Malibu, Traverse and Equinox, followed by their main competition. "May the Best Car Win," indeed.

According to Steve Tihanyi, general director for marketing services, alliances and branded entertainment, "It's a non-threatening environment. It's not pressure-filled; you can drive all the right competitive products against the [vehicles]. If you take Malibu as an example, we will also have vehicles like Camry, Accord, Ford Fusion, or Taurus, so you get a really good cluster of vehicles to experience at your own pace."

Also new will be a competitive test-drive program that will run concurrently with auto shows in 30 markets all around the United States. "One thing we know about auto shows is a lot of people who come will be in market in zero to 12 months," says Tihanyi.

To go along with the new dealership test model, GM will start a digital marketing campaign in each of the four aforementioned test markets, targeting buyers currently shopping for vehicles in GM's competitive markets. Says Tihanyi, "So, hypothetically, if you are on Edmunds.com and shopping a Camry, we are going to offer up an opportunity to come to the Test Drive Studio in that market to compare everything you have in your shopping set right now. Our feeling is you may have not had the Malibu in your consideration set, but if you try it, you will."

[Source: Marketing Daily | Image: Scott Olson/Getty]

Report: GM launching pair of low-pressure 'test' dealerships that offer competitor car drives originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevroletchevrolet dealershipChevroletDealershipchevychevy dealershipChevyDealershipgeneral motorsgeneral motors dealersGeneralMotorsGeneralMotorsDealersgmGM dealergm dealersgm dealershipgm dealershipsGmDealerGmDealersGmDealershipGmDealershipstest drivetest drive studioTestDriveTestDriveStudioFri, 12 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19396687/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/03/12/report-gm-launching-pair-of-low-pressure-test-dealerships-tha/19396687/article-detail.xml 19396687 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/87189985_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/87189985_opt.jpg -1 2