Monday, September 29, 2008

Bill Heard Chevrolet Closes all of it's dealerships...


As reported by the Automotive News and The Atlanta Journal Constitution today, Bill Heard Chevrolet, recognized as the world's largest Chevrolet Dealer and reportedly the nations 11th largest dealer group, closed it's doors to all of it's 13 remaining dealerships and filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection on Sunday 9/28/08.


With reported sales topping $2 Billion dollars and employing more than 2700 people, the dealer group had an enormous footprint in the regional areas in which it operated. Bill Heard, Jr. is citing the difficulty in securing financing for sub-prime customers, a customer base that makes up the predominate amount of retail customers for his dealerships and the steep decline in retail truck sales.


The Heard family has been selling vehicles since 1919 when Bill Heard, Sr. used an inheritance from an uncle to establish William T. Heard Motor Co. in Columbus, Georgia, selling LaSalle, Essex and Hudson automobiles. In 1932 Bill Heard , Sr. purchased a competitor who sold Chevrolet's.


The Heard Auto Group empire spanned several states including Houston, TX, Las Vegas, NV and Orlando, FL, the company was high flying in the 80's and 90's after the company purchased two jets to fly executives around to the various dealerships.


But with the success came complaints, the Heard enterprises were often cited as the leading auto dealer for complaints as reported by the State of Georgia's Office of Consumer Affairs. The company often cited that there competitors or disgruntled customers who were unhappy because they did not receive auto loans was the source of the complaints. In June of 2008 The Council of Better Business Bureaus revoked the Heard dealership's accreditation saying in part that the company failed to correct certain issues and causes of consumer complaints.


In August of 2008 GMAC Financial Services cut off a line of credit that allowed several of the Heard dealerships to obtain new vehicles. With the continued decline in vehicle sales and consumer credit harder to come by sales at the Heard stores continued to fall dramatically auto industry analyst say.


This is just the tip of the ice burg as more major dealership will be succumbing to the harsh realities of this financial crisis and recession that we are in. I am very sorry to say, but it is a reality of the times that we are living in.




Side Note:

Reportedly a lawyer named Jon Sheldon who works for the National Consumer Law Center, a Boston advocacy group stated in The Atlanta Constitution and commented on this breaking story, that car dealers collect "significant fees for arranging sub prime auto loans", "the fees often amount to 2 percent to 3 percent of the sales price", this information is not accurate and I want to point out that when arranging sub prime loans the dealer is more often as a condition of selling the contract to the lender paying a hefty fee as a discount on the loan contract (passed on to the consumer in the purchase price). Giving him the benefit of the doubt, his comments may be geared towards a fee normally associated with prime contracts where a dealership may receive a fee from the lender as a buy rate or wholesale rate and then mark the rate up to a retail rate to the consumer, this fee is the dealers commission for arranging the loan.


If people of certain knowledge and authority choose to comment on stories published in major papers, I ask would you please get your facts straight before providing the info to the public, call me to verify first, particularly if you never worked in a dealership. I ask, how did you become an authority if you never worked at a dealership, kind of like playing a doctor on T.V..


Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy

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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

That Car Guy For President 2008...

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Monday, September 22, 2008

High Heel Motorbike...

Someone with a whole lot of time on there hands...
Enjoy Today!
That car Guy

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THE BIG MAN LAMBO LIMBO...

All I can say is why do it...

Enjoy Today!

That Car Guy

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Saturday, September 20, 2008

PHOENIX MOTORCARS...

The Phoenix SUV front view


The Phoenix SUV rear view


The Phoenix SUT front view
The Phoenix SUT Darkside Edition
9/20/08
The Phoenix Motorcars company is on a mission to distribute zero-emission, freeway speed, all electric vehicles this calender year. They have two models in there line up the Phoenix SUT and the Phoenix SUV. The company is based in Ontario, California and has been active recently in getting it's vehicles to the marketplace.
The vehicles are powered by a described revolutionary lithium titanate battery pack manufactured by Altairnano. The engineering of the battery allows the vehicles to travel 100 miles and up to 95 m.p.h. on a single 10-minute charge. The companies are working on a expanded battery pack that would give the vehicles extended range to 200 miles.
The ambition is great and we all encourage the success of companies like Phoenix Motorcars and what it represents to solving our energy independence.
Find out more from there corporate website: www.phoenixmotorcars.com
Enjoy Today!
That Car Guy





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The Alternative Energy and Transportation Expo...



More info here: www.altcarexpo.com

Public Service Announcement...

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Monday, September 15, 2008

DONATE TODAY! A Whole Lot of People can use your Assistance...

DONATE HERE: www.redcross.org
HURRICANE IKE...
The People in Galveston, Texas can use your assistance...
The People in Houston, Texas can use your assistance...
The People in Louisiana can use your assistance...
The People in Alabama can use your assistance...
The People in Haiti can use your assistance...
The People in other parts of the Caribbean Islands can use your assistance...
THEY CAN USE YOUR ASSISTANCE RIGHT NOW!


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Saturday, September 6, 2008

The Magnet Car...












The Magnet Car
Aug 16, 2008
Once again I am forced to express my jealous admiration for the new breed of magic, eco-friendly car. Oops, did I say magic? I meant magnet: this car overcomes the force of gravity through the strategic use of an electric engine...and magnets.
Winner of the unseen technology award at the Interior motives design awards 2007, the MAG magnetic vehicle concept (designed by Matúš Procháczka) finds an unusual solution to the problem of, expending fuel to get somewhere. Rather than finding a different fuel source, or building a smaller car, Procháczka ingeniously reduces the weight of the car by using an electric engine with magnets the same polarity as the roads. The resulting upward force lightens the vehicle's weight by 50%.
Another innovative touch is the desing of the seats: two outer layers, pile yarn, and a soft construction foam make it possible to adjust the final hardness and spring characteristics of the seat. This lightweight, adaptable seating not only cuts down on waste during construction and the overall weight of the vehicle while being driven, it also sounds pretty darn comfy.
Of course, the biggest caveat to MAG's road dominance is the very crux of it's construction: in order for the magnetic engine to properly polarize, the roads on which it's driven also have to be magnetized. Magnetic roads not being yet readily available, um, anywhere, the design for right now remains purely theoretical. But the day they are, you'll see me sitting on my adjustable foam seat cushion, zipping around on my magnet car. MR

*Courtesy been-seen

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