Car Industry Analysis
Since the beginning of the car there has been history of used car sales and since World War II boom in auto sales there has been an increasingly large amount of used autos being sold. Immediately following World War II, there were roughly nine buyers for every new car produced. Sales personnel merely had to find out who could afford a new car. "Afford" was defined as paying cash. This condition existed until the early 1950s when supply began to discover that some new terms were creeping into the retail salesperson's vocabulary. Words like "overallowance," "discount," "deal," and "terms." The emphasis, however, was still not on product but on price. In addition, the asking price was no longer final. There was also, if you could haggle a little, a taking price. It was possible to bargain with the dealer for the first time.
During the 1960s, other new merchandising techniques were introduced. "Sticker price," "fleet price," "hard sell," "50 over invoice," "high-powered advertising," and "free" accessories were but a few new innovations. The buyer was becoming better educated, better able to buythanks to 24- and 36-month paymentsbut still confused and fearful of price. "Good deals" became "bad deals" after talking to friends and neighbors. Caution became the watchword when buying a car.
The advent of the 1970s brought more confusion to buyers with new procedures like leasing, 48-month payments, credit unions, rebates, and consumer advocates. However, in defense of the consumer, books on "How to Buy a Car," "Invoice Prices U.S. Cars," and "Used Car Buyers Guide," were published and sold by the millions.
During the 1970s automobile salespeople became conditioned to the notion that customers were interested in only one thingthe very lowest price. The automobile showroom atmosphere didn't change very much from the 1970s to the 1980s. Most retail salespeople saw the business of selling automobile as an "us against them" hard-sell game. Those who sold popular Japanese products became arrogant and insensitive to their customers and those of us who sold American vehicles continued with the approach that price, and price alone, sells vehicles.
As the 1980s came to a close, however, the winds of change began to impact the retail automobile marketplace. Today, in the 2008, the business of retailing automobiles is quite different than it has ever been in the past.
In today's marketplace, 5 out of every 6 cars sold in the United States are used.
This paper will focus on the future of the U.S. Automobile industry as the United States recovers from the worst recession we have experienced in the past 75 years. I will provide information on the following topics pertaining to the U.S. automobile industry:
...n, David. “The Advantages of Buying a New or Used Vehicle.” Car and Driver. May 2009. Heart Communications, Inc. November 24, 2013. http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-advantages-of-buying-a-new-or-used-vehicle.
The growth that happened before the 1920’s made it possible for the U.S. to become a consumer-based society ("The Rise of Industrial America, 1877-1900”). “Buy now, pay later,” became the main slogan of the twenties when credit was introduced into the market. Companies wanted middle class families to be able to afford the leisure’s of life just like the upper class. This idea was transformed into “credit.” Department Stores took part in this idea from the start along with installment plans.
In the United States, modern car manufacturing has been historically dominated by the American companies including Ford Motor Co., Chrysler Group LLC, and General Motors Co. These three companies, known as the Detroit Three, controlled 95% of the market in the 1950’s and the dominance continued until the beginning of the 21st century. In the 1980’s Japanese auto manufacturers entered the United States, a decade later the Germans, and finally in 2000’s the Koreans. By the end of 2009, the Detroit Three only accounted for 45% of the total U.S. auto market. Another factor that had influence on this was constant fluctuations in gasoline prices and price sensitive consumers. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, gas prices hit record high averaging $3.07 per gallon in May 2007 and kept climbing up to $4.08 in July 2008. As gas prices kept increasing, consumer buying trends have been changing. In 2006 sales for SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans dropped 16%, while the market for compact cars rose by 3%. Unfortunately, the Detroit Three were not prepared for this since their...
The bureaucratization of business in the 1920’s meant that more people could be employed in higher paying white-collar jobs than before, including, for the first time, housewives. This new income combined with the reduced prices for goods that resulted from mechanized production, assembly lines and a general decrease in the cost of technology created a thriving consumerist middle class that went on to fuel the economy in all sectors, especially the upper classes. Likewise, during World War II Americans saved up around 150 billion dollars, and this sum combined with the income of the GI Bill allowed normal people to buy expensive things, from houses to cars to electronics to education at a rapid rate, fueling the trademark prosperity of the 1950’s. The new automobile culture of the 50’s spawned new businesses that catered to mobile Americans, such as nicer and more standardized hotels like Holiday Inn, and drive-up restaurants like McDonalds. Just as the culture of the 1920’s was transformed by modernist ideas, the world of the 1950’s was reinvigorated by the introduction of the automobile to the middle class....
The 1920s exploded with fast paced and lively creativity and culture that influence the world, yet no invention affected American everyday life in the 20th century more than the automobile. The rapidly growing automobile industry led by Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Increased wages and lower cost vehicles made possible through mass production meant that cars became increasingly affordable, although 3 out of 4 cars were bought on installment plans. Company produced new and better models every year to supply the insatiable public demand( http://www.1920-30.com). With, automobiles it made it easier for people to go place to place, it also was affordable for the people to buy. The automobiles were easy to make because of the assembly line in that
After World War I and during the 1920s, America’s economy was growing to be the best in the world. Consumerism had led to the increase in purchases made by Americans and the amount of products that had been produced. Some of the consumer goods that were now in demand had included the automobile,
There are many different automobile companies providing buyers with many styles of cars, trucks, SUVs, and motorcycles. Toronto Star January 14, 2005 present ways to approach the automotive buying process. There are many different surveys, crash reports, and rating systems comparing different companies and their vehicles. Things you should look for when reading these published articles are who conducted the study? Who paid for it? Who gains from it? Who loses? These are all things to keep eye on as some automotive companies will run their own surveys making their products seem overpowering against the competition. Some prove their products are safer then the competition where the competition has been proven time and time again to make that survey seem inaccurate.
their best price for a certain car, most people would not believe the price quoted to be the actual
Sports Cars have been the symbol of masculinity and style for centuries. They are fast, stylish, mean machines bound to get you attention no matter where you go! But at the same time they are gad damn expensive, which is why a lot of users prefer to buy them used. But like always buying used does not guarantee a lower price. To ensure that you do get a lower price, you must therefore be able to separate the apples from the oranges and pay for them accordingly.
In 2000, Kia continues to sell a wide range of vehicles. They target a wide range of needs by offering less expensive economic ...
When you hear the term “used car”, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Some may think of an old rusty Cadillac that belongs in a junkyard. Others may think of that nice Camaro at the used car dealership for sale. Over the years, used car sales have skyrocketed. In 2012, over 40.5 million used cars were purchased in the United States (Atiyeh, 2013). Used cars are in high demand in today’s economy because of the lower prices, slightly higher gas mileage, and that they can be more trustworthy against some of the newer models. With used car sales always climbing, how do buyers know what they are looking for in a vehicle? How do they come down to the final decision of where to purchase the vehicle? Most importantly, how can buyers make sure that they do not get scammed? This paper will take you through the process of purchasing a used vehicle, from deciding on a budget, all the way to the final purchase of your “new” car.
Which concepts from the chapter explain why Porsche sold so many lower-priced models in the 1970s and 1980s? (5 marks)
In an unpredictable market customer perception is often the most viable source of information. It is difficult to directly benchmark the CAR prototype against other market offerings and therefore a value based approach could provide a better understanding of the price ceiling. Andy and Marc point out that value-informed pricing techniques are superior for products with a high relative advantage. With the current climate debate heating up, the CAR’s zero harmful emissions and low fuel costs boost its competitive advantage over petrol based cars. Yet risk per se cannot simply be av...
In addition to the car model and color choices were decisions on options packages. And having seen the "pimped out" SUVs on MTV Cribs, complete with two or three LCD screens (one in the dashboard for the driver, of course), DVD player, speakers costing more than my college education, GPS navigation systems similar to those used in the Space Shuttle, heated seats, and 20 inch chrome wheels, my eyes were wide with opportunity. After checking on financing and whittling down the alternatives to what I might really need or want, I ended up with the most basic of standard packages.