Wendy White Polk El Paso Inc. staff writer Car buyers are going back to the future, as baby boomers snap up snazzy new models that make them feel like kids again. Volkswagen has its new VW Beetle, Chrysler has the PT Cruiser. And pretty soon you'll be seeing the brand new 50s-styled Thunderbird from Ford.
Local dealerships say retro-look cars are driving sales for a certain segment of the market.
Javier Duran, VW sales manager for Hoy-Fox, sees a lot of baby boomers. She liked being in a Beetle again. But Duran said all age groups are buying bugs, from Fort Bliss colonels to young families to high school grads. When it comes to men and women, he says it's about a 50-50 split. Since Chrysler debuted the PT Cruiser in February 2000, it's attracted a mix of customers, according to Leroy Ahia, Dick Poe's top Cruiser salesman.