One Small Town Dealership Feels the Pinch but Sees Hope in the Future
(Classic Motors' car lot in Richfield, Utah, lies under a blanket of snow at year's end.)
I was passing through Richfield, Utah, last week and we stayed in a motel across the street from a dealership selling Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Chevrolet. Initially, I noticed the interesting mural on the wall alongside the car lot, but as I gazed at the rows of cars I began to think of the people who worked there, the owner and then the state of the business in general.
It was a bitter cold night and my mind was filled with gloomy thoughts about the collapse of the car industry, financial problems and plummeting sales. But when I woke up the next morning I decided it was unfair of me to put my own negative judgment on this dealership. Perhaps they were coping better than I knew.
After an excellent breakfast in the Little Wonder Cafe on Richfield's Main Street, where many of the locals hang out, I asked my waitress who was the owner of Classic Motors. She told me it was Joe Betar. I emailed him through the dealership's website and waited for a response.
Mr. Betar, who has been the owner of Classic Motors for fifteen years, answered my email the next day. He explained that he had found the mural after demolishing a bottling plant to create room for the car lot. "I restored the bill board as I liked the historical aspect of both my dealership and the board itself," he wrote.
I asked if it was difficult for the car salesman to make a living these days and how many he employed. He answered, "We have two dedicated salesmen, a general sales manager, and an F&I manager (who is also my middle son). There is still an opportunity to earn a decent living in auto sales, but it is certainly more difficult than it once was. However, in small towns like ours, if one is willing to stick with it long enough to develop a clientele, they can usually do ok."
It turns out that Classic Motors specializes in selling diesel trucks that operate underground in mines. A Google search on Mr. Betar's name showed that he had worked with Chrysler to keep the Dodge Ram pickup in production
for use in the United States and Australia. He even sent me a picture of a pickup being lowered 1,800 feet into a soda ash mine in Wyoming.
This being the end of one of the worst years for the car business, I asked Mr. Betar what his predictions were for the future of the car business. "My mentor once told me that 'there is a butt for every seat,' he wrote. "I have no idea what form the American car industry will take in the years ahead, but there will always be a need for dealerships to service those products. I think that those dealership that remain nimble and flexible will survive, but there will definitely be a 'thinning of the herd,'"
I was glad I had gone to the source and contacted the owner of Classic Motors rather than stewed in my negative thoughts. It was comforting to find that this dealership, Classic Motors, seemed to be getting along okay. I'm hoping that other dealerships have some niche or specialty or are, as Mr. Betar said, are "nimble and flexible" enough to survive until good times return.
So, I'll conclude by wishing car buyers and everyone in the car business -- from the owners of large and small dealerships, to the car salesmen and women -- a very happy new year.
- Posted by
- Philip Reed January 1, 2009, 3:00 AM
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- Classic Motors, diesel, GM, mining, Richfield, Utah
Interesting story, thanks for sharing! Also love the pic of the truck being lowered.
Yeah, you rarely see a vehicle in that position (on purpose, at least). I wondered what happened to the fluids in the truck... but I'm sure they have that figured out.