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Norman, OK Chevy dealer sells rather than selling out [w/poll]

Jeffrey N. Ross — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:20:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM

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.

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Chevy refuses to pay bonuses to dealer with Bass Pro Shops-style showroom

Chris Tutor — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM

Avid waterfowl hunter Marc Heitz knows ducks would rather land on a pond already populated by ducks. Heitz is also a Chevrolet dealer, and when it came time to build a new facility, he figured car shoppers were a lot like ducks.

"When people see other people on our lot, they're comfortable stopping," Heitz tells Automotive News.

The best way to attract people to his lot, he theorized, was to give them reasons beyond cars and trucks. His Norman, OK showroom has a 45-foot waterfall, an aquarium stocked with local fish species and animal tracks on the floor lead to an arcade for the kids.

Outside the log-cabin-like dealership are bear and elk statues, a picnic area and two dog parks. It feels more Bass Pro Shops than car dealer.

General Motors agrees that it's certainly not your average Chevrolet dealership. And because the Heitz building doesn't have Chevy's signature blue cladding and gold bowtie, GM says it will not pay Heitz his $250,000 quarterly dealer-excellence incentive. A GM spokesman said the company will be glad to reinstate the payments if only Heitz will modify the building to be in compliance with the corporate branding plan, including removing the animal footprints.

"It would be like putting socks on a rooster," Heitz tells AN. And it looks like Heitz is no fan of footware for fowl. He said he doesn't understand why GM wants to mess with something that's working (his dealership sold 1,900 vehicles in 2011), and he has no plans to change anything. Even if it costs him around $1 million a year. Maybe that's what "Chevy runs deep" means?

Chevy refuses to pay bonuses to dealer with Bass Pro Shops-style showroom originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chevrolet dealer ready to charge $20,000 over MSRP for Volt... will more follow?

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM

2011 Chevrolet Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

Researchers from Edmunds decided to drop their local Chevrolet dealer a line to inquire about staking a claim for one of the first available Volts, and the response was shocking at best and galling at worst. Here's the email, sans names:

Hello *****

Thank you for your online request, as you know the Volt is going to be a very limited production vehicle for the first 2-3 years. Demand is going to far exceed supply for this vehicle, initially our asking price for the Volt is going to be MSRP plus $20,000, we are expecting only receive 9 Volts all of next year.

I will keep you in my customer base for when the Volt comes out and I will contact you with any information as I receive it. We are taking orders right now for the Volt, if you would like more information, please let me know and I will be more than happy to help you. Thank you.

***** *****, Internet Specialist
******* Chevrolet
********, CA

You read that right. A $20k markup over MSRP for a 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

As Edmunds' AutoObserver points out, this email exchange took place before General Motors announced its plans to increase Volt production by 50% for 2011, churning out approximately 45,000 units in its first year. But even with that knowledge, would the unnamed dealer still avoid bilking early adopters? We doubt it.

While it's not clear if any other Chevy dealers plan to follow suit, history would suggest that big markups are likely - the Corvette ZR1 initiated this sort of fervor when it was announced, too. On the flip side of the coin, AO sites a report from GM-Volt.com this past June, in which a GM spokesperson is quoted as saying: "We also aren't expecting our dealers to overcharge anyone for this vehicle, either, and will monitor the situation closely when we launch," adding, "we'll be paying close attention when the vehicle launches and do our best to strongly discourage this kind of behavior, as we always do with any GM-branded vehicle."

GM is allowing Volt buyers to lease the plug-in hybrid for $350 a month (with a $2,500 down payment) when sales begin later this year, so it strikes us as odd that someone would choose to purchase a Volt outright if the dealer would tack on such an astronomical amount to the MSRP. Then again, there's the possibility that dealers might only allow purchases, negating the option to lease.

With so much riding on the Volt's success - from GM's long-term environmental program to the political pressures over the federal bailout - the General better get its dealers in line post-haste. If not, the fallout has the potential to stymie the Volt's success before the first owner takes delivery.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

[Source: AutoObserver]

Report: Chevrolet dealer ready to charge $20,000 over MSRP for Volt... will more follow? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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