If it were only a matter of trust, I would have to say that the current executives at the very highest levels of that corporation have definitively demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither their dealers nor the public nor the government can trust them. First of all, as I have written in nearly a dozen previous articles, the Internet is still a major non-event and I predict that isn t going to change anytime soon. We ve seen our industry invaded by an army of virtual-reality geeks, nerds and propeller heads. We ve all heard and read the predictions about the extinction of the traditional bricks and mortar retail automobile dealership. At the same time I have repeatedly predicted that these Internet companies were going to fail and, ultimately go bankrupt when their investors seed money ran dry.
Every issue is saturated with e-crap.
Yes, there is always going to be that niche market segment of intelligentsia who will opt to buy their cars sight unseen with a keyboard. The greater danger to the retail dealer and to the public is the e-brokers and Internet referral services of every kind. The aliens have indeed landed, and believe me, they are not your friends. I generally put Sonic Automotive in the category of being extremely competent retailers. What a pompous pile of dog doo that last alleged Manby quote was.