Reverse Bailout; Calif dealer dumps GM "There's no car people left"

**FlyingJ** · November-25-11, 01:52 PM

http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_19408470

**Jimaz** · November-25-11, 02:04 PM

Google Maps Street View of that location

**Lowell** · November-25-11, 02:21 PM

Too bad. They come up clean [A+] on a Better Business Bureau search.

http://www.la.bbb.org/business-revie...emont-CA-28282

**313WX** · November-25-11, 02:32 PM

That's a pretty petty reason for GM to let go of a good franchise owner as Richard Hibbard seems to be.

As long as he's selling the cars and GM's/Chevrolet's name is on the dealership, does it matter exactly how it's presented?

That's another reason why people are sick of corporate america.

**noggin** · November-25-11, 02:38 PM

Here is the real reason GM is giving him grief...he has been giving money to the Republican party.

http://www.campaignmoney.com/politic...d.asp?cycle=08

Its not called Government Motors for nothing.

**JBMcB** · November-25-11, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

That's a pretty petty reason for GM to let go of a good franchise owner as Richard Hibbard seems to be.

FTA:
"Tom Henderson, spokesman for General Motors, said Hibbard voluntarily ended its relationship with Chevy on Nov. 15. "

Hibbard dumped Chevrolet, not the other way around. The US carmakers have been trying to improve the image of their showrooms, this guy doesn't like it. Fair enough, he's free to sell someone else's cars.

Ever walk into a Mercedes dealership? Looks like you're in Disneyland. Everything is clean and run like clockwork. Most of the US carmaker dealerships I've been in look like 30 year-old supermarkets - cheap linoleum floors, cheap drop-tile ceilings, cheap surplus desks. They need to fix this.

**Gistok** · November-25-11, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by noggin

Here is the real reason GM is giving him grief...he has been giving money to the Republican party.

http://www.campaignmoney.com/politic...d.asp?cycle=08

Its not called Government Motors for nothing.

Anyone who's been paying attention for the last few years knows full well that many if not most corporations give money to to both political parties.

You're joking, right?

**oladub** · November-25-11, 04:02 PM

The same pressure has been put on tractor dealerships. The local Oliver/White, Allis Chalmers, and Massey Ferguson dealers have been run out of business in part because they were expected to build fancy new facilities. We still have John Deere. Fewer choices mean that local dealership monopolies are established. Maybe that works out well for corporations; each having their own de facto exclusive sales areas.

The Chevy dealership where I bought one truck was run out of business when the government took over GM. I don't know if it's owner donated to Republicans though.

**313WX** · November-25-11, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

FTA:
"Tom Henderson, spokesman for General Motors, said Hibbard voluntarily ended its relationship with Chevy on Nov. 15. "

Hibbard dumped Chevrolet, not the other way around. The US carmakers have been trying to improve the image of their showrooms, this guy doesn't like it. Fair enough, he's free to sell someone else's cars.

Ever walk into a Mercedes dealership? Looks like you're in Disneyland. Everything is clean and run like clockwork. Most of the US carmaker dealerships I've been in look like 30 year-old supermarkets - cheap linoleum floors, cheap drop-tile ceilings, cheap surplus desks. They need to fix this.

By "let go", I meant "let them get away." Either way, that's semantics and not relevant.

I personally don't care how a place looks, as most people. As long the as the product and service is good that's all that should matters. As I said, if the guy is selling cars and is showing off their name in some form then the whole thing is being blown out of proportion.

There are still several McDonald restaurants in the country that have the 1960s look, yet I don't see McDonalds pressuring them to change their look, because all that matter is they're selling burgers.

**compn** · November-25-11, 05:55 PM

i'd rather not buy a car in a showroom with marble floors and gold leaf trim and the car costs $1000 more to pay for all of that. rather buy a car that has better safety features and tests than a fancy looking car. but thats just me. i fill out those 30 page jd power surveys, but i dont think anyone listens. thats why cars today have chrome trim inside that reflects sunlight into the drivers eyes. because they never take these cars for test drives.

**douglasm** · November-25-11, 07:35 PM

Hyundai did the same thing to a dealer in my area. His franchise agreement called for the dealership to meet certain standards, and the dealership didn't want to spend the money. Thus he quit his franchise. It's not uncommon.

**downtown_racine** · November-25-11, 09:18 PM

Nice lookin locale.

**caldogven** · November-25-11, 09:21 PM

I worked at Jim Funston Chevy on Gratiot that had been family owned since about the thirties. In 1972 GM said he had to tear the old building down and put a newer building or they would take the franchise away. He shut the doors instead.

**softailrider** · November-25-11, 09:29 PM

I remember the old Harley-Davidson "showrooms" back in the 70's. It was like shopping in somebodys big garage. As far as I know, they've all been changed over. Harley made them do it.

**ddaydetroit** · November-25-11, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

I remember the old Harley-Davidson "showrooms" back in the 70's. It was like shopping in somebodys big garage. As far as I know, they've all been changed over. Harley made them do it.

I long for the days when you went into a harley dealer for parts and they had only one rack of t-shirts but now they are all forced to sell all the merchandise. Wolverine harley never has the part I need but they always have every t-shirt imaginable.

**gnome** · November-25-11, 09:57 PM

LuckyCar, you have a fine used car showroom. Very authentic. It reminded me of Sam Druckers place on Green Acres.

**Scottathew** · November-25-11, 10:18 PM

I've seen Taco Bell and McDonald's doing the same thing; aggressively upgrading facilities, even ones that might not have been seen as needing updates.

My local Taco Bell at 8\Ryan just got upgraded. And by "upgraded" I mean they bulldozed the entire building, ripped up the entire lot from corner to corner, and started from a completely clean slate with a fresh concrete lot, fresh foundation, and built a brand new facility.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this story. On one hand, I understand what GM is trying to do. On the other hand, sounds like this dealership is really good at selling cars and it has more to do with the people there, than the facility.

The nice thing about America is that GM is free to push these standards on its partners, and those partners are free to choose whether or not they'll continue to be a GM partner. Whether or not GM or Hibbard is in the wrong, I'm not quite sure!

**Gistok** · November-26-11, 12:42 AM

This original story reminds me of Roy O'Brien Ford, which for those of you who have been around a long time can recite their old commercials by heart to this day.... and they are still located at 9 Mile & Mack.... in updated but still somewhat "dated" facilities.

Just up the road [[9 Mile) 2 new dealerships have been built... Don Gooley Cadillac and Mercedes Benz of St. Clair Shores... both in much classier new facilities.

I'm not aware of the Ford dealership being pressured to rebuild a new dealership to replace the building that has been there at least 45 years. But if I make a new auto purchase choice... it won't be based on the architecture of the building....

**FlyingJ** · November-26-11, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by 48091

I've seen Taco Bell and McDonald's doing the same thing; aggressively upgrading facilities, even ones that might not have been seen as needing updates

We had a Taco Bell on Robertson Bl in L.A. that STILL had the serape & light bulb signage 'til about 5 years ago-there was a vintage Pete-style Pizza Hut in Fontana til a few years ago. When I went down Route 66 most of the early Holiday Inn franchisees were in the Midwest so there were all these Mom & Pop converted viintage HI's with hastily repainted "Great Signs"

**lpg** · November-26-11, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

I remember the old Harley-Davidson "showrooms" back in the 70's. It was like shopping in somebodys big garage. As far as I know, they've all been changed over. Harley made them do it.

Like the old Detroit Harley-Davidson when it was on the Lodge service drive behind the Wonder bakery? Now they look like boutiques that happen to sell motorcycles.

**lpg** · November-26-11, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by ddaydetroit

I long for the days when you went into a harley dealer for parts and they had only one rack of t-shirts but now they are all forced to sell all the merchandise. Wolverine harley never has the part I need but they always have every t-shirt imaginable.

I heard that H-D makes more money off clothing and accessories than motorcycles.

**softailrider** · November-26-11, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by lpg

Like the old Detroit Harley-Davidson when it was on the Lodge service drive behind the Wonder bakery? Now they look like boutiques that happen to sell motorcycles.

That might have been before my time, I can't remember Detroit Harley-Davidson when it was actually in Detroit. Only place I can remember Detroit Harley-Davidson being is on Van Dyke in Centerline.

I remember the old Motor City Harley on Joy Road. ABC Harley was in some crappy building in Pontiac, I can't remember which street though.

**lpg** · November-26-11, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

That might have been before my time, I can't remember Detroit Harley-Davidson when it was actually in Detroit. Only place I can remember Detroit Harley-Davidson being is on Van Dyke in Centerline.

I remember the old Motor City Harley on Joy Road. ABC Harley was in some crappy building in Pontiac, I can't remember which street though.

I bought my 73 Sportster XLH there. Real old 2 story building. They had a circular ramp like the one at Cobo that led to the upper level. Real mechanics there. Address was 2801 John Lodge SO. at Grand River. Bill Hatherill was the sales mamager. Another H-D dealer no longer around was Jake's on Ford Road near Middlebelt. Bought a 77 Superglide FXE there. Not a pleasent experience. Pulled out onto Ford Road only to discover no one had bothered to fill the master cylinders and bleed the brakes. Never went back. Was Motor City H-D in Allen Park for a while ? I remember a dealer on Allen Road and White Street in downtown AP. Now a Hallmark store.

**goggomobil** · November-27-11, 12:04 AM

"i'd rather not buy a car in a showroom with marble floors and gold leaf trim and the car costs $1000 more to pay for all of that." -- compn

Hear hear! Who wants to finance an extra hundred bucks for 6 years to walk on marble for a few hours? Gimme the water-stained ceiling tiles, 1950s gray Steelcase furniture and the awful 3 hour-old coffee in a paper cup.

lilpup · November-27-11, 12:46 AM

Notice that the closing dealer wants to sell used and electric now, possibly going to another manufacturer in the future [[likely only if one will bother picking him up). Conspicuously absent from the report is how well [[or not) his business was doing financially.

Also unmentioned: the #1 volume GM dealer in California, which sells all four GM marks [[GMC, Chevy, Buick & Cadillac), is less than ten miles away from this Chevy-only dealer.