The American Car Dealership - Hardcover

Genat, Robert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0760306397 ISBN 13: 9780760306390

Publisher: Motorbooks Intl, 1999

Synopsis

Ever since the automobile was made accessible to the masses, car dealerships have been special places where desires, sweaty palms, and that new-car smell are distilled into an intoxicating elixir of freedom and ownership. From Art Deco showrooms of the '30s to modern glass-walled superstores, this nostalgic road trip revisits the architecture, marketing, and business practices that have become inextricably associated with auto retailers.

A fascinating text accompanies an equally compelling collection of archival photography recalling past and present car dealer phenomena like new model previews and grand openings (i.e., soaped showroom windows, veiled cars, search lights), promotions and giveaways (banners, literature, buttons, pens, pedal cars, ashtrays, and anything else dealers could use to help make a sale), business practices from early-century animal trade-ins to today's refreshing Saturn-style service, customer relations and service centers, and nontraditional automotive outlets like Sears-Roebuck and hardware stores. Sidebars highlight innovative dealerships and those that have been in business for decades.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert Genat is a prolific author and photographer whose eclectic bibliography includes such MBI titles as Hot Rod Nights, Vintage & Historic Drag Racers, Modern Police Motorcycles, and Police Cars in Action.

About this edition

• Publisher: Motorbooks Intl
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0760306397
• ISBN 13: 9780760306390
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 156