turns out if you go to the Kearny Mesa Hyundai dealership for a 4 wheel alignment, they tell you the cost will be 150 bucks. But they will email you a quote for 100... is our email address really worth that much to them?

After 110000 miles, it was in need of a tire alignment, the fronts had been smashed by potholes too damn many times, and that had bent the drivers side off enough to wear on the tires enough cause them to get bald on the outside in 20k miles. Not that there was much more on the inside

Anyway, it feels BETTER after the alignment, and I figure that we owe it to the people we like to tell them about any way they can save money, that we learn of. 

My perspective is that it's us consumer/spenders - against the companies and services that will rip us off. 

Felix Chevrolet used Felix, officially, as their name and identity since the early days.

The Felix Chevrolet showroom has been decorated with large statues of Felix, exact replicas made of the original paper mache, from the original molds, using fiberglass

They were in the process of sending the existing ones in to be refurbished a couple decades ago, and they were also ordering more, when Mel asked if he could possibly have one made. Absolutely! The more they ordered, the lower the price would be! So he ordered three!

https://www.facebook.com/mel.birnkrant

the old Ford dealership in Black River Falls Wisconsin was built in 1916, and had the first gas pump for the city in front of building. The original car freight elevator took the cars stored in the basement up to ground level

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10230660814088329&set=pcb.1912565319444305

a daughter found that a car salesman drove to her stepfather’s home and brought him back to the dealership, where he traded in his 2017 Nissan Frontier for $11,000 and wrote a $78,000 check from his savings to cover the remaining cost of the truck. That is a problem, because he's had dementia for 5 years. (So why did he have access to his checkbook?)

Faulkner contacted Channel 2 Action News after the transaction, saying her stepfather has lived with dementia for five years. She said that before the station began asking questions, the dealership told the family the sale could not be reversed. 

 After Channel 2’s December report aired, Faulkner said representatives from Carl Black GMC reached out to the family. She said the parties have since reached a settlement. For legal reasons, she declined to disclose the amount but said the family has been made whole.

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/gwinnett-county/family-settles-with-car-dealership-after-saying-they-took-advantage-elderly-man-with-dementia/5RLV3X4P2VDMVCSRTKYJREEFKY

what a cool vintage way to run a used car lot, an old trolley street car!

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10224948308733255&set=gm.1847169562650548&idorvanity=892215761479271

I've never heard of a "colored louvre Ford", anyone have a guess what that meant? (1948 Phaeton)

This is the same Fred Carleson Ford as the easily recognized 1934 Santa photo, Salt Lake City

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/341211-period-images-to-relieve-some-of-the-stress/page/439/

https://www.facebook.com/MyFlatSpot/posts/christmas-at-carleson-ford-likely-1935-as-the-1936-model-fords-can-be-seen-on-th/1264197595742147/

I'm astonished to find another cool Babe Ruth photo so soon

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/341211-period-images-to-relieve-some-of-the-stress/page/519/

the dealership show room floor of White Bear Dodge in Minnesota in 1970.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1240950818061659&set=a.556433073180107

compliments to Mark Harris, who owns two dealerships in Flagstaff, Ariz., and leased out the 100,000 sq ft closed body shop at his Chevrolet store Coconino Community College's technician classes!

When the automotive program first started at CCC in 2019, Myers noticed students were traveling to Phoenix to attend Universal Technical Institute (UTI) — a trade school offering hands-on programs in automotive, diesel, welding and other related programs. This meant students who were leaving to attend UTI wouldn’t return to CCC.

“Our big goal was if we can train local and be able to keep the kids here in town where they can learn a trade, get a good job and get industry certifications, that they’d be willing to stay in town and build the workforce in our community,” Myers said.

After visiting a few dealerships around the city, Meyers said he realized there is a gap between technicians getting ready to retire and the number of new technicians entering the workforce -- a ratio of 3:1. According to the director, this ratio has caused a demand for automotive technicians in the community, inspiring Myers’ goal for the new automotive program to “train local, stay local.”

In the previous space the program occupied, students weren’t allowed to leave their work in the building because of overlapping usage from the Honda dealership, but the new center will be a completely different experience for them.

“We can open up more things for them,” Myers said. “We can actually have them rebuild motors, transmissions and rear ends, where at Findlay Honda we were just limited. So this is going to open up a whole new way of training for us here in Flagstaff.”

Myers also wants to include a full-blown welding program, because students currently do their welding at Flagstaff High School, where they are limited in how much time they can spend working. Now that the new automotive space has been acquired, there is 3,000 square feet of space for Myers to look into adding a welding training facility. This will include new welding certifications students can work toward as well.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1472968293728993

https://www.autonews.com/retail/service-and-parts/an-dealership-donates-body-shop-0827/

https://azdailysun.com/news/local/new-automotive-program-in-the-works-at-ccc-offers-students-first-hand-trade-experience/article_1df292bb-249a-4eb7-a1f8-f3aabdfea269.html

an Alfa dealership in Belgium shut down when the owner died, and the widow and son, just locked it up. A dozen new cars still inside

 https://www.carscoops.com/2025/08/this-alfa-romeo-dealer-closed-years-ago-but-the-cars-are-still-sitting-inside/

McCubbin Ford originally opened in 1961, in Madison, Indiana, and is one of the oldest Blue Oval dealers in Indiana, and Bill McCubbin, is a World War II veteran

the 102-year-old was treated to a special tour of the Ford Heritage Collection recently at the automaker’s headquarters, which enabled him to relive some of his fondest Ford-related memories.

“When my brother came home from Detroit in 1930 in a Ford roadster, and remember, I was seven years old and impressionable, I knew I had to have something like that. I’ve loved Ford ever since.” McCubbin said

https://fordauthority.com/2025/07/former-ford-dealer-ww2-vet-tours-u-s-heritage-fleet-collection

there are 2,900 Ford dealerships in the USA, and since 2001, Ford awards the best of them, the coveted Triple Crown Award for sales, excellence in customer service, and vehicle service.

In 2025, only 41 Ford dealer locations across the U.S. won that recognition.

But Village Ford of Dearborn just won its 17th consecutive Triple Crown Award all the more special.

It's the only Ford dealer to ever win a Triple Crown Award for 17 straight years, and though it became Village Ford in 1982, when it was purchased by Jim Seavitt, who still owns it to this day.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, the Detroit Lions mascot, and the Mayor of Dearborn, dropped by to help celebrate the award this year (and probably previous years) 

To bring home Ford’s Triple Crown Award, dealers must win three others in the same year – the President’s Award, Top Volume, and Premier Club. The President’s Award is focused on providing excellent customer satisfaction in sales and service, while the Top Volume award highlights the top 100 dealers in terms of retail vehicle sales, and Premier Club rewards dealers that post the best results in terms of service protection or parts departments.

https://fordauthority.com/2025/07/ford-dealer-wins-triple-crown-award-for-17th-straight-year

https://www.autonews.com/article/20120521/RETAIL07/305219950/look-of-dearborn-dealership-reflects-ford-s-founder-history/

Of course, Village Ford has also repeatedly won the Detroit Press award for Best Place to Work https://topworkplaces.com/company/village-ford-inc/freep/

https://www.villageford.com/

https://www.facebook.com/VillageFord/

Remember that Subaru that was returned aka "crashed" into the dealership windows to get to the middle of the Utah showroom in December? That inspired someone to do the same with another Subaru!

for the second time in three months, a silver Subaru has been wrathfully driven directly into the offices of a car dealership.

March 8, at a CarMax store in Inglewood, California. CarMax told KTLA that a customer had been getting his vehicle appraised. The ABC outlet reported: “Witnesses said the customer apparently didn’t like the offer, snapped and got back into his parked car. After a couple attempts, he drove through the front door.” Eight people are said to have been injured, two critically

https://www.thedrive.com/news/carmax-customer-crashes-subaru-into-showroom-after-apparently-bad-appraisal-offer

back when car dealerships were small family owned, and before they were all cookie cutter in looks (thanks Mike!) Feely Chevrolet, Needham, Massachusetts

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/vintage-snapshots-and-photography/vintage-dealers-chevrolet-dealers-1960s/

Thanks Marc! https://www.reddit.com/r/OldPhotosInRealLife/comments/13s5ljo/feely_chevrolet_needham_massachusetts_1940s_to/#lightbox

Notice above the left most door... the word Lubritorium! 

LaFontaine Ford, St. Clair, decided to use the Eminem song “Lose Yourself” to promote the Detroit Lions Special Edition 2024 Ford F-150 in its advertisement

So how, could they not KNOW, and be advised by their management, or anyone involved with acquiring a copy of the song, and adding it to the commercial... that they need a license to do so

So, they are getting sued. Well, of course, it's the age of bots and AI, no doubt the computers at the music company are constantly searching for usage of the music they are the rights to, and comparing it to the authorized uses. Then alerting the company of unauthorized uses. Just like antivirus software. Just a guess

https://fordauthority.com/2025/01/eminems-publisher-sues-ford-dealer-over-use-of-lose-yourself/

The "Mod" Maverick, Aug 72, Twin Ford, a Plainwell/Otsego Michigan small town dealership... sold from a dealership with Thrush sidepipes, Mickey Thompson big back tires on Ansen slotted mags

 Looks like 3" leaf spring shackles too

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10233802209017887&set=gm.8708450095912836&idorvanity=133119313446000

Scout has been issued a cease-and-desist letter from the California New Car Dealers Association ordering the company to stop taking deposits on its EVs, citing a law that makes it illegal for automakers to compete directly with their "existing" dealership franchises.

The key word there is “existing.” 

This is why Tesla is allowed to sell vehicles directly to consumers in California; it had no established franchises with which its direct sales model could have possibly competed.

 But while Scout Motors may pitch itself as an independent startup, CNCDA is pointing to the conspicuously large figure lurking behind the curtain: Volkswagen.

Scout was (of course) aware of the law, and even lobbied for language that would carve out room for it to establish its own dealership franchises (separate from other VW Group brands).

By bypassing that entirely in favor of direct sales, CNCDA argues, Scout is engaging in misconduct.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/dealers-move-to-block-scouts-unlawful-direct-sales-plan-that-cuts-them-out-entirely

the state of Michigan suspended a Hyundai’s dealer license for leasing used cars as new. Keep this in mind when you see the next post about a dealership getting a car returned

Though the suspension was temporary, the laundry list of infractions suggests this wasn’t just a minor slip-up.

The list of infractions found by a MDOS investigation is wide-ranging and significant. It includes falsifying records to certify used vehicles as new on official state applications, misrepresenting vehicles’ statuses in sales transactions, failing to properly issue temporary registrations, omitting or incorrectly handling odometer information on vehicle titles, and delaying title applications for purchasers beyond the legal 21-day period.

“On Dec. 4, the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) suspended the license of LaFontaine Motors of Livonia Inc., also known as LaFontaine Hyundai of Livonia, for imminent harm to public.,” said the agency in a statement

https://www.carscoops.com/2024/12/hyundai-dealer-has-license-temporarily-suspended-over-leasing-used-vehicles-as-new/

I think enough people have recently proved that there is a limit to how much they will accept, how much they will put up with, before they decide to strike back (health care insurance CEOs learned) and now a guy with a crappy new car RETURNED IT when the dealership refused to take it back

So, will anyone listen now? Can you hear him, now? 

Remember, it was a 2 cent tax on tea that kicked the English King's govt out on the colonies on North America. It wasn't something major, it was a lot of trivial shit, until they decided that they'd had enough of a damn king on the other side of the ocean. 

Well, this guy decided, no more full price for crap cars, accept the return, and refund the money, or get it delivered back to the show room the HARD WAY

https://www.thedrive.com/news/buyers-remorse-man-crashes-subaru-into-dealership-after-they-refused-to-take-it-back

Michael Lee Murray, 35, bought the vehicle from the Mazda dealership earlier in the day on Monday. He later called the dealership to return the car

While on the phone with the dealership, Murray was told that the sale was final, and the car was an “as-is” purchase.

https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/man-drives-front-car-dealership/

Do you get the same thought I did.... he returned the car, and now the dealership has the car back the same way they sold it to him "as is"

there has been a Viper up on a sign over a Chrysler dealership in Henderson, Kentucky since 1996. For years, locals assumed that it was just a body shell or that it lacked a powertrain, but it's a fully functioning Viper

Jacob posted photos of the Viper being brought down from its perch on the Viper Club of America Facebook group and the years of sitting nearly 30 feet in the air weren’t kind to it.

Its red paint didn’t hold up well to tens of thousands of hours of sunlight, as its clear coat is peeling like a bad sunburn. Nature also decided to take over the Viper, as the driver’s side window looks like a terrarium and the engine bay is now a bird’s nest

the car was brought down for refurbishment 15 years ago. I wonder if that’s when it was given quite possibly the worst-looking set of aftermarket wheels ever fitted

According to Schreiber, the Viper is going to get cleaned up and painted. Once refreshed, Tristate Homepage reports that the Viper should return to its post in about a month or so

https://www.thedrive.com/news/real-dodge-viper-mounted-on-dealerships-sign-for-28-years-has-been-reclaimed-by-nature