GM is partnering with eBay Motors to sell new cars – yes, this time the premature July announcement has reached fruition. That false start has been given the gas, and as of August 11, you can buy a brand new Chevy or GMC on eBay.
Back in 2008, almost 4,000 auto dealers who sold GM?s Certified Used Cars started listing their inventories on eBay Motors, radically altering the used car business. The “New 2009 GM” is hoping to alter the new car business now as well.
Today, looking at the GM site you can only find individual Summer Savings ads for Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Hummer, GMC and Cadillac. Even special deals can be found for South Africa.
GM site on eBay Motors
But check out the eBay Motors site. The Coming Soon banner was lowered and cars galore should be available. Ninety percent of GM?s California dealers will be on board to entice dollars out of your pocket in exchange for a shiny, new car. California is the site of this gimmick, uh, call that a four week trial, ending September 8. Familiar buying options, such as Buy It Now, or Best Offer will be available.
All car sales will still go through the dealers, however. The new Web site is gm.ebay.com, are they are ready to deal. Rob Chesney, VP of eBay Motors says “GM and eBay have been working hard behind the scenes to get dealers the information they need about how the program will work. There will even be an 800-number consumers can call that will be staffed by GM employees to help buyers during the process.” Buying a new car face to face takes hours; we wonder how long it will take over the internet once everyone involved gets the hang of it.
Research companies cite impressive figures about new car shoppers who used the internet to locate the ride of their dreams. Maybe GM has hit on the right vehicle to sell their stagnating inventory.
eBay Motors has been active for some time, selling cars, trucks, motorcycles, and boats. Cars are listed by category, including muscle cars and collector cars. GM?s popular Pontiac GTO muscle car of the ?60?s and ?70?s even inspired a GTO song that you can hear on YouTube. For computer buffs, or others who were never hooked on cars, the lyrics are explained at Associated Content. and they go like this:
Little GTO, you’re really lookin’ fine
Three deuces and a four-speed and a 389
Listen to her tachin’ up now, listen to her why-ee-eye-ine
C’mon and turn it on, wind it up, blow it out GTO
You oughta see her on a road course or a quarter mile
This little modified Pon-Pon has got plenty of style ?
1967 Pontiac GTO Convertible was a machine in which lives of many baby boomers began…
That old Pontiac GTO lists anywhere from $200 to $79,900 currently on eBay. Can GM?s new version make the hit parade? Even a collectible ?49 Studebaker with less than 10,000 miles has garnered 35 bids with an asking price of $8,200. eBay draws car fanatics from every corner.
Old and new GM products alike generate interest. Contrast a 1948 Cadillac collectible with a 2009 model. The ?48 with a speedometer reading of only 1,000 miles is listed at $35,700 on eBay. Ten people are bidding for it.
The 1951 refresh of 1948 Cadillac Convertible began the golden era for American car makers…
Motor Trend?s priced a new 2009 Cadillac CTS sedan at $40,760. If GM turns people on to eBay Motors, who knows what potential customers will decide to spend their money on – a classic collectible, or something like everyone else has parked in their driveway?
Search for GMC ended with no results, but if you want to splash 60 grand on a Vette’, “no problemo”.
Let?s hope the selection gets better. Caddy isn?t a choice on the drop down menu. A search for one of the four possible choices, a GMC, within 500 miles of a major California city returned the message: No matching vehicles are available in your area. But if you want to pick up a Chevy Corvette, no problem, you have plenty of options. We take that GM want to get away from SUVs and trucks as far as possible.
But with such a spotty start, it doesn?t look like the GM-eBay program is off to a tire squealing start. But we?ll give GM points for trying.
