GM Roadster sales

[wt2ga]

Chilly Weather Cools Off Red-Hot GM Roadsters
Automotive News

By Richard Truett

Nov. 20, 2006


Not even the red-hot Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky are immune from the fall and winter downturn in sports car sales. Both roadsters are now readily available at many dealerships - and at near their sticker price.

Back in spring and summer, they were fetching several thousand dollars over sticker, when you could find them.

GM reported a 74-day supply of Solstices as of Nov. 1, up from 34 days on Oct. 1. About 3,500 Solstices are in inventory. The Saturn Sky has a 33-day supply this month, up from 19 days last month. GM says it has about 1,100 Sky models in inventory.

At Saturn of the Valley in North Hills, Calif., near San Francisco, 11 Skys were in stock last week. At Jim Fresard Pontiac-Buick-GMC in Royal Oak, Mich., near Detroit, the dealership started the week with four Solstices but sold one to a Florida dealer.

Bill Quinn, Fresard's finance manager, says the Solstice doesn't fly off the lot in the winter. But the car is still bringing full sticker price. Quinn says he expects the Solstice to do well in December: "It makes a great Christmas gift."

[shamayim]

why not raise the price of the Sky four more times so that the car will really sell?!

[marlboromike]

and that is understandable...nobody in States with winter climates will buy a car to sit in their garage. Remember, flowers bloom in the Spring.

[CdnSkyGuy]

Yeah it sucks making payments on a car that I can not drive! Oh well...the love affair will be like new again in the spring, absence makes the heart grow fonder

[SKYtime]

Although I have only been able to drive my SKY with the top down on two days, I'm still gonna drive that sucker around until there is snow on the ground!

[wt2ga]

Originally Posted by marlboromike

and that is understandable...nobody in States with winter climates will buy a car to sit in their garage. Remember, flowers bloom in the Spring.

Man

[JRinKY]

wt2ga :............At Saturn of the Valley in North Hills, Calif., near San Francisco, 11 Skys were in stock last week. At Jim Fresard Pontiac-Buick-GMC in Royal Oak, Mich., near Detroit, the dealership started the week with four Solstices but sold one to a Florida dealer.

And there are people all over the country waiting for Sky's.

[wt2ga]

I just did a search at the Saturn site for Sky's at that Kalifornia dealer,
It returned:

Six base SKYs, 2 yellow, 2 black, 1 red and 1 blue

One Redline in red

[CenterIce]

I noticed that they don't specifically mention what model they're talking about. Could they be just talking non-RL? If they are, then I could see it.

But it sure sounds like they're doing a p*ss-poor job of analyzing their order/sales data and the North American climate. There's plenty of places with huge backlogs of people waiting for these cars yet they're sending them to dealers that can't seem to move them.

Where's that rocket scientist?

[vrod]

The Baton Rouge dealer had 2 baseline Sky's available last week. 1 yellow and 1 green. They were both demo models with 3,000 and 6,000 miles on them.

Both of these were available 3 weeks ago when I chanced upon a new green one they had. (which I bought until my redline comes in.)

Maybe this means they will finally allocate my order to GM. I put up a down payment early August for a redline.

[JohnD]

The "3K Over Sticker" policy is probably going to have to go away here in California... Not that I will miss it, mind you

[brentil]

Base car sales are probably slumping right now due to the GXP/RL craze. Also cars are still selling here in FL.

[duck833]

I wonder what the total RL backlog is now, with just special orders from real customers with deposits. I bet they are sold out for six months with just what we have ordered already. Why don't they focus on clearing the backlog?

[shamayim]

There are still people buying the base model since not everyone needs a turbo model or can afford the insurance. The problem is that to be fair, for lack of a better word, they ship cars to the northeast knowing that no one from around here will buy a convertible this time of the year. The dealers have to floorplan the car until someone comes along to buy it.

[Rick Tinley Park]

Originally Posted by shamayim

There are still people buying the base model since not everyone needs a turbo model or can afford the insurance. The problem is that to be fair, for lack of a better word, they ship cars to the northeast knowing that no one from around here will buy a convertible this time of the year. The dealers have to floorplan the car until someone comes along to buy it.

Except that Saturn does not send a SKY unless it is ordered.
According to everything I read and every person I have spoken to, the SKY (both models) is to be treated as a custom car as much as possible. Of course a dealer can order a floor model, but Saturn frowns upon just ordering "stock". They want the car to be built to a customer's specifications. As the General Manager at the dealer I go to said -- "They want one more order than they have SKY."
It is my guess that the SKYs we see for sale are used and perhaps demos. The used are primarily from those who ordered SKY R/Ls. The bulk of the new SKYs are most likely failed orders (deal fell through) and/or dealers loading up with floor models (exactly what Saturn is trying to avoid). . .

[TOY4TWO]

Just another PT Cruiser, actually demand is dropping off faster than the PT. Seems only a 1 year waiting list on the Sky and the PT was 2 year, granted it was a more practical car so it appealed to more people.

Glad to see these stupid markups going away.

[GPalmer]

They really are still selling here in Florida though they are probably hanging around the lot for a week or so...

[duck833]

GM has lots of sales already, just take care of your customers and ship them their car.

Pouring down rain here in Oregon, who wants a convertible!!!! Answer ---- ME!!! Ship the car so I can have it when the sun shines again someday.

[shamayim]

Originally Posted by Rick Tinley Park

Except that Saturn does not send a SKY unless it is ordered.
According to everything I read and every person I have spoken to, the SKY (both models) is to be treated as a custom car as much as possible. Of course a dealer can order a floor model, but Saturn frowns upon just ordering "stock". They want the car to be built to a customer's specifications. As the General Manager at the dealer I go to said -- "They want one more order than they have SKY."
It is my guess that the SKYs we see for sale are used and perhaps demos. The used are primarily from those who ordered SKY R/Ls. The bulk of the new SKYs are most likely failed orders (deal fell through) and/or dealers loading up with floor models (exactly what Saturn is trying to avoid). . .

Correct and well said.

[Dj Mikey Swift]

Originally Posted by CdnSkyGuy

Yeah it sucks making payments on a car that I can not drive! Oh well...the love affair will be like new again in the spring, absence makes the heart grow fonder

all the more reason to live in Vegas!