
Big Three: Clean up your dealerships - terpua
http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/1446-big-three-clean-up-your-dealerships
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tptacek
I didn't think this was a strong 37s article, for two reasons:

* It's hard to make the point that the dealerships are a major problem for the Big Three when the article revolves around an anecdote that ends with you buying a car from a Big Three dealership.

* The Big Three have almost no control over the dealerships, which are franchised and protected by state laws that prevent auto manufacturers from opening their own dealerships or closing down underperforming dealerships. Unlike import OEMs, whose dealerships are coveted, the market is flooded with Big Three dealerships, many of whom are threatening class-action lawsuits against the OEMs for things like cutting unprofitable product lines. Ford has little leverage to impose standards on Ford dealerships.

