February, Love & Cars

Ah yes, it must be February. The sun is brighter, daylight is longer, 25 degrees seem almost balmy, the stores are decorated in red, and we begin that regional thing we call Presidents Day Sales for automobiles.

For a long time now, auto dealers have used Presidents Day (formerly Washington’s Birthday) to roll out great deals for new cars. Some pundits have said that this tradition began as an effort by dealers to reduce inventory, some have said that dealers started this because they had returned from the auto show in Detroit all fired up to sell cars.

Frankly, I think it all started because dealers got tired of shoveling off the snow from the cars in the lot and having to move them around to plow.

In any event, - in the past anyway, people like to think about a new car around Presidents Day. They are accustomed to visiting dealerships, having the kids romp around with the balloons, clowns & face-painting, eating cherry pies (the old reference to Washington & that cherry tree thing…). It’s a great pastime in the middle of winter, gives you something to look forward to after mud season, and gets you thinking about Spring.

How about this year? With jobless numbers going up, a deterioration in consumer confidence, the continuing growth in foreclosures, etc. etc. – what will this do to auto sales this Presidents Day? Add to the mix the fact that some finance companies have eliminated their leasing programs, and apparently the credit markets are tightening up – are dealers worried? I know I am.

It’s always fun to go see the cars, kick a few tires, and imagine yourself wrapped around that new convertible. Let’s watch and see what the mood is this year – from the buyers and the dealers. Here’s an article from CNN Money: http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/03/autos/finding_deals/index.htm