Automakers Want To Become Order Takers !!!

[f.f.jones]

 

Automakers Want To Become Order Takers !!!

They’re trying to “train” Americans to like this new way:  to order the exact specs and accessories you want.

My comment:

An absolutely revolutionary way to purchase a car! (...if you were born yesterday )  ...read on

 

https://www.motorious.com/articles/features-3/automakers-become-order-takers/

[Harold]

Times sure have changed!  When I sold new cars in the '80's the message from dealership management was 'sell what's on the lot'.  Occasionally we'd locate a car at another dealer for the customer or reserve an incoming inventory unit for them.  A true factory order was frowned upon and salespeople were made to feel inadequate if this occurred.  The dealership made money regardless, but quick delivery was king.

[3macboys]

I'm not sure what the issue is.  I bought my last 3 trucks that way plus wife's second last car.  Got exactly what we wanted, easy in and out for the dealer as they didn't have to finance it sitting on the lot and got treated well price wise as a result.  Now does this make every new build by the factory a custom build and one of one for future collectors?  The build sheet always has my name on it saying that it was built just for me!

[95Cardinal]

I agree with 3macboys.

 

I have always preferred ordering a new vehicle the way I want it, not choosing from something on the lot.

That way I get what I want, not something the dealer chose.

[Frank DuVal]

It took my father at least 6 months to get the car he wanted, a 1979 Chevette Scooter with NO options. Finally a new salesman at Emrick Chevrolet  ordered it for him. All the Scooters my father found on the 3+ dealer lots in Richmond had accessories, like radios or automatics....😲  So, when it arrived, GM had a special and threw AM radio in for free. 😆

 

In late 97 my wife needed a car and she wanted a Saturn wagon. "How much off for the leftover 97s on the lot?" I asked. Answer was something like $500. So we ordered a '98 with leather interior, therefore getting exactly what we wanted. Amazing how many people don't want leather with small children. Most EVERYTHING cleans off of leather easier than cloth.👍

 

I bought a '70 Buick Estate Wagon from a family in Charlottesville. I bought it ONLY because it had three on the tree. The stories they had of trying to order that car were funny. 26 of that combination were made in 1970. Last year of three on the tree in a Full size Buick (LeSabre chassis).

Edited January 26, 2022 by Frank DuVal (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

What?! No more ""Accessory Group 1" and "Accessory Group 2"?!😳 Each of which contains ONE option you want, along with five you don't, and to get both options you want you have to get both packages.

 

Yet they make all these electronic gadgets (that I would rarely if ever use) standard equipment. 

[1937hd45]

Anyone have any data on the age of people when they bought  their last NEW CAR? I was 35 back in 1986.

[hidden_hunter]

It’s more common here and has been for a long time, quite often dealerships would have a very small lot

[8E45E]

10 hours ago, 3macboys said:

I'm not sure what the issue is.  I bought my last 3 trucks that way plus wife's second last car.  Got exactly what we wanted, easy in and out for the dealer as they didn't have to finance it sitting on the lot and got treated well price wise as a result.  Now does this make every new build by the factory a custom build and one of one for future collectors?  The build sheet always has my name on it saying that it was built just for me!

It is just like that up until the 1970's when one could actually order a car with exactly what you wanted by ticking off the option boxes on the order sheet.

 

Craig

[8E45E]

8 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:

It took my father at least 6 months to get the car he wanted, a 1979 Chevette Scooter with NO options. 

Did it have a rear seat and a glove box door?  It was actually an option on the Scooter (and the Acadian '1+1' in Canada), at least for the first year or two.

 

Craig

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

7 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Anyone have any data on the age of people when they bought  their last NEW CAR? I was 35 back in 1986.

 

 85 and have not bought a new one YET,

 

  Ben

[Cadillac Fan]

Just did this.  Contacted dealer via email. Ordered the car over the phone. Got exactly what I wanted (color, options, interior color) and never stepped in the dealership (which was in a different state).  
 

They delivered it to my door.  
 

only issue was it took 4 months from phone call to delivery, due to the “chip shortage. “

 

 

[58L-Y8]

With the advances in technology, the auto industry is reinstituting the practice of decades ago when ordering new cars was the norm, not selecting from massive inventories held on dealer lots.  One difference now is unlike years ago, it's not necessary to set with a salesman in the dealership going over the available options. Then it was filling out an order form with customer selections to be mailed or telegraphed to the distributor or district sales manager.  

 

Direct ordering by customers provides immediate feedback on preferences which assist in scheduling production and supporting inventories.   This will relieve manufacturers and dealers from the burden of discounted year end model clearance sales and the dreaded 'left-overs".

[ply33]

7 minutes ago, 58L-Y8 said:

With the advances in technology, the auto industry is reinstituting the practice of decades ago when ordering new cars was the norm, not selecting from massive inventories held on dealer lots.  One difference now is unlike years ago, it's not necessary to set with a salesman in the dealership going over the available options. Then it was filling out an order form with customer selections to be mailed or telegraphed to the distributor or district sales manager.  

 

Direct ordering by customers provides immediate feedback on preferences which assist in scheduling production and supporting inventories.   This will relieve manufacturers and dealers from the burden of discounted year end model clearance sales and the dreaded 'left-overs".

I was under the impression that the decline of custom orders and rise of trim levels/packages was led by foreign manufacturers who had no good way of doing custom orders.

 

If domestic manufacturers (foreign companies with domestic assembly plants) can pull this off without a hit to productivity then it seems to me they should have a marketing advantage over those companies that assemble overseas and have a long, slow shipping stage.

[Pfeil]

Last new car from G.M. in 1976. Ordered an Oldsmobile, it took 12 weeks to get to the dealer, it came with dents in the two front doors a dent in the cowl and sand and bubbles in the paint. It took another two weeks for the dealer to sort that out. Did not sign on the dotted line until it was fixed. Back then the dealer had an option list so you could taylor make your car, most of it. I did have to call the zone office to get a few other things I wanted that was not on the order form. Back in 1959 my dad special ordered a 59 Pontiac Catalina out of the zone office as well.  

[Matt Harwood]

 

Oh, wait, no it's not. For decades I've listened to people gripe about having to take cars that were on the lot or "packages" of options they don't want. Isn't this what we've been wishing for since the 1960s?

 

Every car I've purchased brand new has been a special order the way I wanted it. This is only good news. Of course, to a society addicted to outrage I guess even good news can be misconstrued as something to get your blood boiling. Meh.

[JV Puleo]

9 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Anyone have any data on the age of people when they bought  their last NEW CAR? I was 35 back in 1986.

I've had exactly one...I was in my 20s. It was junk and I sold it 6 months later (taking a huge hit) to buy a 1910 REO. The chances I'll ever set foot in a new car showroom today are just about nil.

[John348]

13 hours ago, 3macboys said:

I'm not sure what the issue is.  I bought my last 3 trucks that way plus wife's second last car.  Got exactly what we wanted, easy in and out for the dealer as they didn't have to finance it sitting on the lot and got treated well price wise as a result.  Now does this make every new build by the factory a custom build and one of one for future collectors?  The build sheet always has my name on it saying that it was built just for me!

 

Same here, I ordered a new GMC sierra 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2018 exactly the combination the way I wanted it. I had to wait 3 to 4 month's to arrive.  There are certain packages I have to take to get what I desire, but I have found GMC is a little more a la carte then Chevrolet when it comes to ordering.

I have always bought a new GM car/SUV off the lot for my wife every 4-5 years since 1985 Never really had the time factor to wait for an order to arrive for her vehicle. If the buyer incentive was there, and it was a color she liked it was a done deal.    

 

Now due to inventory shortages is a different dynamic, dealers want to take orders, adaptive business's survive

[dibarlaw]

Our last "New" car was a 2006 HHR. I was 50 years old then. The only other new car we ever purchased was a 1995 Astro Van. Then I was 40. Each was a later in the year purchase. Each had to be gotten from another dealer as our local dealer did not have what we were looking for. The closest I ever got to ordering a new car was when I worked at Sedney Oldsmobile in Charleroi PA. A 1975 Delta 88 Royale Convertible. Mr. Sedney could get me the car slightly over cost. If I recall around $5,250. I could handle the car payments, but the new car insurance would cost me over $1000 a year. So, I drove my 1969 LeSabre Convertible another 5 years.

Discussing the current new/used car situation with our group planning the 2023 BCA Tri-Regional meet at Morgantown PA. Some of whom work for dealers indicate there is no such thing as a "deal" or discount. Premiums in multiple thousands of dollars are being paid just to get car. Reminiscent of post WW2 price padding. 

[Zimm63]

Ordered my last two new cars, got what I wanted.

 

Lots of people get new car fever or need to replace a vehicle RIGHT NOW.  Good salesmen can smell that, and they are treated accordingly.  Being able to wait, not needing financing, insurance, or the extra special shiny coating, gives the buyer a little bit more of a chance.

 

[Buick35]

I just want to get a new car with manual windows and no blue tooth or phone.cruise is o.k.

[28 Chrysler]

My last new car was made by Revel back in the 60s. Lost money on that one, maybe $3.25.

[pfloro]

4 hours ago, 8E45E said:

It is just like that up until the 1970's when one could actually order a car with exactly what you wanted by ticking off the option boxes on the order sheet.

On December 26th, 1984, I ordered my '84 Toronado from a NJ dealer. Prior to ordering, I was able to get (from another dealer) the "option codes" with prices (!). The salesman was scolded for giving them to me. Even though much was standard on the Toronado, the option list was huge.  This was a highly optioned car yet still customized.  Perhaps the Linden, NJ assembly plant was quiet after the holidays but the car was built on January 21st and I took delivery on February 3rd.  I drove The Queen Mary for 28 years...  She was a wonderful car but towards the end, driving a sofa had gotten tiring...

 

I don't know when GM or Olds changed over to "packages"...

 

I don't like packages but what I miss the most is the array of colors and exterior/interior combinations. 

 

Paul

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by pfloro (see edit history)

[Rivguy]

I come from a UAW family and spent several years working for GM assembly in Fremont Ca. which became NUMMI , and is now Tesla. Back in 1976-81 every car had a manifest for the build. I was told that that every car was ordered by someone. Either it was an individual's  customer order or it was ordered by the dealer. I bought two cars in 2007, I was 53 years old. Both were bought off the lot. The Mustang had the equipment that I wanted, especially ABS, which was still an option for V6 cars that year. It wasn't the color that I would have preferred, ( dark metallic grey) but you take what you get. My truck was optioned very minimally. with auto and a/c. I wanted a vehicle with no power assists, except steering and brakes, and rubber floor mats. Ford had made four wheel disc brakes with ABS standard, which was one reason that I chose an F150. I lucked out in that the truck was Forest Green. 

I've still got both vehicles, but my time with GM was limited to four years while I was going to college. I'm considering buying one more new car, provided that I can order it in a color combination and option level that I want. If not I'll buy a two or three year old used car and have it painted to suit my tastes. 

 

That is one nice Oldsmobile!

Edited January 26, 2022 by Rivguy (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

5 hours ago, 8E45E said:

Did it have a rear seat and a glove box door?  It was actually an option on the Scooter (and the Acadian '1+1' in Canada), at least for the first year or two.

 

Yes, by 1979 they were standard. It also was the first year for an air cleaner you could open and replace just the paper element instead of the sealed assembly of the earlier models, which is now NLA of course.

[3macboys]

It should be noted that dealer installed options used to be very common as most were simply bolt on essentially.  Alternatively there were also dealer delete options in the day. Both of which allowed the "on the lot" vehicles to be customized to the buyer.  When I bought my 1990 Daytona off the lot I had them add cruise control which was not a big deal at the time.  At which point did these add/deletes no longer become practical to perform at the dealer level?

[JACK M]

Order a new car the way I want it?

How novel.

Pretty sure I heard about that in the 60s. But I didn't have any credit back then.

[8E45E]

3 minutes ago, JACK M said:

Order a new car the way I want it?

How novel.

Pretty sure I heard about that in the 60s. But I didn't have any credit back then.

JACK-FM wasn't around in the 1960's!!

 

Craig

[zepher]

Last new car I purchased was in 2001, I was in my mid 30's at the time.

I still have it and it now has 250k miles and still going strong.

 

Ordering a vehicle would be a great way to get exactly what you wanted, but it seems to me the current generation is more interested in instant gratification.

[JACK M]

1 minute ago, zepher said:

the current generation is more interested in instant gratification.

Tru Dat

[plymouthcranbrook]

I was under the impression the move to packages for new cars was to simplify production by making building the cars easier on the line. (Extra profit was a bonus). More cars built alike means less mistakes. Just as very few colors of paint is easier to do for the factory. Can anyone not think that computerized paint sprayers can’t be programed to paint al, kinds of colors and patterns?  My first new vehicle was a Ford Econoline in 1974 with a 300 cu six and a three speed manual.  Am radio and not much else. The next one ordered was a 1982 Mustang LX with a 302 and four speed. I remember a trend toward packages on that one. Last new car was in 2012, a Kia Soul for my wife, only bought new as the price differential between used and new pricing was minimal.  I had a terrible time finding one without all kinds of options which a salesperson at one dealership told me were forced on them by the company and installed “on the dock”. Finally found a dealer who located one about 90 miles away. He said it shouldn’t have any extras and if it did they would eat them. It did and they did.

Edited January 26, 2022 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

1 hour ago, zepher said:

but it seems to me the current generation is more interested in instant gratification.

From ancient Greece to every succeeding generation forward.

 

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”

― Socrates

[pkhammer]

  Nobody has mentioned that most new vehicles on the lot are loaded and if you don't want all of the bells, whistles and gee-gaws it can be MUCH cheaper to order. I have ordered exactly two new vehicles to get them with the color and equipment I wanted. A 2004 Dodge RAM 2500 diesel and a 2014 Jeep Wrangler both of which I still own and are my DDs. I had a hankering in 2020 (before pricing went nuts) to get a new truck. I was looking at 2020 RAM 1500s with the 5.7L Hemi. None on the lots at the time were priced under $50k because they all were loaded with options. I could've ordered what I wanted for under $40k. I decided to keep running what I had since it is still in fine condition with 254,000 miles.

  I'll always order what I want when it's time to buy so no big news here. That's the way I prefer it.

[rocketraider]

2 hours ago, zepher said:

... but it seems to me the current generation is more interested in instant gratification.

Seems they're also more willing to settle for and accept whatever's offered. 

 

Me, I turn loose of my money for something, it is going to damned well be what I want.

 

Ornery like that...👴

[TerryB]

I am always amazed at how much the armchair experts beat up young people in threads like this.  I guess all of you were perfect since birth.  The young people I know will buy based on their incomes and availability of product that meets their needs.  For many this is their first foray into a whole new world of making a big dollar purchase on their own. They have an idea of what they want and what they can afford which doesn’t always match up.  Shopping around gets confusing as dealers offer this and that and give low trade ins or big trade ins and then get that money back with hidden fees. Someone needs to run a seminar on how to navigate all this process and keep a car purchase from becoming a nightmare for a first time buyer.

 

As cars get more uniform in shape, trim and performance it’s not too hard to buy one like a new pair of trousers, if it fits and does what you need then you buy it.  The relatively new concept to buy a car totally on line is an effort to take the hours long negotiations out of the equation which has its merits too.  Why spend all day trying to get someone to help you, listen to a mix of 50% facts and 50% BS and then as a final insult get hit with the F&I guy who tells you to buy the extended warranty because bad things might happen to this otherwise wonderful car and of course offer financing that benefits him more than it benefits you. 
 

My son and I spent hours going over the questions to ask, the information he will need to make the deal, the pros and cons of the type of cars he was looking at and so on when he bought his first car on his own. Some young people have no one to ask these type of questions and just buy based on whatever information they can find.  So if it looks like impulse buys to us, maybe it’s due to never having any help in the process.  As a former Boy Scout leader I guess I saw a lot more potential in our young people than they get credit for.  Give them a chance, they will learn just like we did.

[f.f.jones]

 

  8E45E  said:   Posted 3 hours ago   

 

                        "FM wasn't around in the 1960's!!"

 

 I have  '68 Wildcat and a '69 Mustang - Both have factory FM radios. 

I built an FM "Heath Kit" in the '50's, remember them ?

Blaupunkt offered the 1st FM car radio in 1952.

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

New subject:

 

17 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Anyone have any data on the age of people when they bought  their last NEW CAR? I was 35 back in 1986.

I've purchased four new vehicles in the last 60 years: 1964 Chevelle El Camino, special ordered when I was 21, an AMX in '68 at 25, a '68 VW the same year, and a 1972 F-100 when I was 30, all three off the lot. After 50 years, I still have the F-100, wish I still had the others.

 

Current statistics of interest:

Average age of new car buyers is getting older

Research published by the Federal Reserve shows the average age of a new car or truck buyer has grown older over the past decade. It is now around 53 years old. They also note that among new vehicles buyers, the 55+ age group has a 15 percentage point increase since 2000.

 

EV sales have grown exponentially over the past 10 years; however, the ownership demographic has remained relatively the same. The average EV owner continues to be male, aged 40-55 years old, with an annual household income of more than $100,000 (2019).

 

When it recently announced its record-breaking 2021 sales — about 5,600 vehicles sold worldwide — Rolls-Royce also announced the average age of its customers, in the United States and globally, is just 43 years old. That means many buyers are also much younger than that, like in their 20s or 30s.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by f.f.jones (see edit history)

[CHuDWah]

Not sure I give much credence to the CEO of a company that bastardized the iconic pony car into an all-electric 4-door, but...

 

I tend to keep cars long term.  I buy new because I have bought used and ended up with someone else's problem.  At least new has a warranty.  I've ordered but nowadays buy off the lot.  I do research on the web to decide what make/model/trim/option(s)/color(s) I want, then locate a candidate by searching dealer inventory online.  I do like packages rather than the old individual options list.  I buy highly optioned cars and usually can find a package that has what I want and little I don't.  I do test drive a car or at least a similar model before buying.  I pay cash and may or may not have a trade.

 

All that said, I'd have no problem ordering per the OP article other than the lead time, and even that's not a big objection.  In that scenario, the only use (other than service) I'd have for a dealer would be taking the order, providing a test drive and delivering the car.  If I had a trade, I'd sell it to one of the "we buy used cars" places, probably wouldn't get any more on a trade anyway.  I'd be agreeable to paying MSRP with reasonable built-in profit for manufacturer and dealer, no less but no more.  I used to enjoy "horse trading" but I've gotten grumpy in my old age so no longer have the patience to play the negotiation game.  Very few other purchases are negotiable.  Course they currently demand thousands over list for cars so I'll probably be driving my 16-year-old daily ride for a while longer.

[SC38dls]

3 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

From ancient Greece to every succeeding generation forward.

 

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”

― Socrates

If I remember correctly this is exactly what my parents said about the teenagers and young adults in the 60’s! The generation of free love. 
dave s 

 

ps- it was a great time to be young!  

[8E45E]

51 minutes ago, f.f.jones said:

 

  8E45E  said:   Posted 3 hours ago   

 

                        "FM wasn't around in the 1960's!!"

 

 I have  '68 Wildcat and a '69 Mustang - Both have factory FM radios. 

I built an FM "Heath Kit" in the '50's, remember them ?

Blaupunkt offered the 1st FM car radio in 1952.

 

No!  The  "WE PLAY WHAT WE WANT" JACK FM!  is what I'm referring to!  The FM radio station with the most disorganized playlist in the world!!  And you CANNOT request your favorite song on Jack FM - Wikipedia like you can paint color on a car you want to order from a dealer!

 

Craig

[Pfeil]

8 hours ago, Buick35 said:

I just want to get a new car with manual windows and no blue tooth or phone.cruise is o.k.

I just would like to order a truck with manual windows, dual circuit brakes with disc ft and drum rear-NO ABS, the color I want, a five-speed stick shift and a A.M. - F.M. stereo with a C/D player (nobody sells a C/D player anymore). No blue tooth or phone, Cruise is OK. I don't need visors with a lighted mirror, heated seats, full carpeting.....you know a real truck! Oh, I forgot an 8 Ft. bed that the bed rail is low enough to swing cargo over so you can actually work out of the truck instead of having to climb in and out of the back of it wearing yourself out.

IMO, a truck that has a step that fold out of the back of the bed is an admission from the designers that the bed/bedrails-truck are too high and that they would rather design a truck for 'want a be" truck pretend drivers. 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Pfeil (see edit history)