General Motors and Chrysler have each announced plans to close hundreds of dealerships by the end of 2010, but the two companies are each handling the matter differently. If you would like to know whether your local Chrysler dealership is on the closure list, you can find out easily. The list was disclosed as part of the company's ongoing bankruptcy filing, and can be found on many websites.
The New York Times, for instance, has the list. The Times has also created a map of the closings, which makes the nationwide impact of the closures clear.
GM, however, is leaving it up to dealers themselves to decide what to disclose. Kicking Tires reports, "The company...said it would not release a list of the stores included in the group. It did say that number was on top of the 470 Saturn, Hummer and Saab dealers already dealing with the possible sale of their brands."
The company actually plans to cut its dealership network by nearly 40% over time. Motor Trend reports, "It had about 6280 dealers by the end of 2008, already down some 400 from the previous year. Now, it has 5969, and its viability plan to the U.S. Treasury plans on 3600 dealerships by the end of 2010." The closure list and the end of Saturn, Saab, Hummer and Pontiac will all contribute to the cuts, but those events "leave about 800 dealers that GM figures will close due to attrition by the end of '10."
By not releasing a list of closed dealerships, Kicking Tires notes, "the company is leaving it to the franchise owners themselves to let customers know their long-term plans. However, this could cast doubts on every GM dealership when car shoppers are considering when and where they decide to buy. We would suggest any car shoppers ask a dealer representative if they are not getting their franchise renewed."
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