In your Opinion...Do Large Auto Groups Help or Hinder the Auto Business as compared to the Mom and Pop dealerships from years ago? I understand its a touchy subject.

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Comment by Craig Darling on October 1, 2010 at 10:16am: No stranger to touchy subjects, here you go.

In about 1994 I worked for a dealership, a little Chevy store, we sold about 1000 new cars a month and about 250 used. This was a family owned operation and the sales people we paid well and we did not have any turn over in the sales department... for almost seven years.

One day the GM asked me to go do a shopping report on the new used car guy in town, Auto Nation. I was down there for about an hour and a half. Bottom line of my report, If these corporate types ever get any real car people on the ground, we are in trouble. The sales process was unlike anything I had ever seen.
A couple of years later our Dealer sold his business to Auto Nation. I visit the store every now and then... there are empty offices, a few of the same people and I am sure they sell about 150 new and 80 used monthly.... Was it a good thing?