Gm brass hat owned cars - Page 4

**Xplantdad** · #31 07-21-2016, 08:38 PM

Keith... [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img]

**DW31S** · #32 07-22-2016, 12:33 AM

The cars I remember delivering were already sold before they even got to the dealership. High ranking execs and managers would order a car to be used for no more than 6 months and no more than three thousand miles. When the car's term expired, the car would then be put into a "pool" of available units. The "pool" was a certain area where only these cars were parked AT the GM plant near Baltimore. The cars were available for purchase either by the exec/manager that ordered it, or by another GM assembly plant worker who "bid" on the car. I use the term "bid" not as we know it by dollar amounts, but by seniority and employment status of the interested buyer. The prices were prenegotiated by GM before the cars hit our dealership for paperwork and servicing. The employees of the dealership were NOT eligible to purchase these cars, and the assembly plant workers were limited to two (2) purchases a year. Often, I would get the same buyer(s) because some people would "order" a car, have the exec/manager drive it for 3000 miles and then come pick it up at the dealership. I really don't remember the exact pricing structure, but I do remember they were CHEAP compared to a normal retail unit. Also, you must remember, and many people don't realize that up until the early '80s, big GM cars had as much as 30% mark-up from invoice to MSRP. You could also order damn near any combination of equipment and/or colors. That all started to changed into the late '80s and early '90s. Now, we're lucky if there is 7-8% on some stuff. The game has really changed.

**Keith Seymore** · #33 07-22-2016, 02:25 PM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DW31S</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The cars I remember delivering were already sold before they even got to the dealership. High ranking execs and managers would order a car to be used for no more than 6 months and no more than three thousand miles. When the car's term expired, the car would then be put into a "pool" of available units. The "pool" was a certain area where only these cars were parked AT the GM plant near Baltimore. The cars were available for purchase either by the exec/manager that ordered it, or by another GM assembly plant worker who "bid" on the car. I use the term "bid" not as we know it by dollar amounts, but by seniority and employment status of the interested buyer. The prices were prenegotiated by GM before the cars hit our dealership for paperwork and servicing. The employees of the dealership were NOT eligible to purchase these cars, and the assembly plant workers were limited to two (2) purchases a year. Often, I would get the same buyer(s) because some people would "order" a car, have the exec/manager drive it for 3000 miles and then come pick it up at the dealership. I really don't remember the exact pricing structure, but I do remember they were CHEAP compared to a normal retail unit. Also, you must remember, and many people don't realize that up until the early '80s, big GM cars had as much as 30% mark-up from invoice to MSRP. You could also order damn near any combination of equipment and/or colors. That all started to changed into the late '80s and early '90s. Now, we're lucky if there is 7-8% on some stuff. The game has really changed. </div></div>

I used to flip Suburbans. I would order one as a "drive and buy" late in the model year, drive it as my assigned company vehicle, purchase it when it came out of service, and then repeat the next year. If everything went well you could break even or make a little bit of money when it came time to sell.

The best discount I ever had was 38% off (employee discount plus 7500 miles plus past model year discount).

K

**Keith Seymore** · #34 07-22-2016, 02:38 PM

One other trick, from when we relocated from the Desert Proving Ground back to Michigan:

I chose an existing M van out of the development fleet and drove that from Phoenix to Detroit as a GM company owned vehicle. When we got back here it came out of service and I purchased it for my wife to drive (with the corresponding mileage and model year discounts).

K