tarhoosier
Registered Member
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2019
- Messages
- 1,357
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- Location
- Charlotte
- Genesis Model Type
- Genesis G70
As a historical perspective, I began working at a large Ford dealer during high school in 1965. The order books were in the showroom and had hundreds of pages of descriptions and photos of all the items possible for ordering in a new car: interior, exterior, fabrics, wheels, mechanicals, colors, trim, just so much. This was a carry over from the days of the 1930s where ordering a car with personal specifications was the province of the affluent. To match that experience Ford and the members of the Big 4 offered this option to make new car buyers feel pampered. They could also collect their new car at the factory if they so chose or were in a particular hurry.
Certainly they wanted to sell off of their lot or from inventory at nearby dealers with a trade but the markup on trim and accessories was so much that the incentive for such arrangement persisted during that time. Much of the sales commission came from such selections. After the assault of the Japanese manufacturers in the 1970's it was a race to sell at the lowest cost. Salesmen with their clients at the order desk perusing page after page of specialty goods and then awaiting delivery and hoping the customer does not renege or die became a memory.
Most of us are aware of the now-classic vehicles from that era that may today be advertised with rare options, engine and transmission selections, color and trim combinations and so on that make the car unique or nearly so at this point. That is not true of contemporary vehicles which are commodified.
Certainly they wanted to sell off of their lot or from inventory at nearby dealers with a trade but the markup on trim and accessories was so much that the incentive for such arrangement persisted during that time. Much of the sales commission came from such selections. After the assault of the Japanese manufacturers in the 1970's it was a race to sell at the lowest cost. Salesmen with their clients at the order desk perusing page after page of specialty goods and then awaiting delivery and hoping the customer does not renege or die became a memory.
Most of us are aware of the now-classic vehicles from that era that may today be advertised with rare options, engine and transmission selections, color and trim combinations and so on that make the car unique or nearly so at this point. That is not true of contemporary vehicles which are commodified.
