Pontiac Dealers Respond to Diminishing Inventory By Adding Rareness Surcharge
Brand New 2007 Pontiac Solstice Roadster! Price: $28,730 + $3500 eBay Adjustment
Many Pontiac dealerships are adding surcharges to their remaining inventory, claiming that the prices are justified by the increasing rareness of Pontiac’s vehicles.
The move comes as no surprise, as GM announced this week over Twitter that its inventory levels are shrinking rapidly and they have the lowest supply of Pontiacs since 1950. On the inventory and dealer markups, Frank Griffin of Pontiac said “It clearly shows that Pontiac is building the right products and consumers love them!”
With nearly two-thirds of the 1100 Pontiac Solstice Coupes ever built already sold, the dealers are adding as much as $5500 in surcharges, usually under the name of a “Dealer Addition” or “eBay adjustment.”
Tom Bridge, the owner of Bridge Pontiac in Cayuga Heights, New York, told us that “My supply of Pontiac G5 coupes is down to 118 days. Since the car is out of production, these are clearly collector’s items. In 10 years it’ll be almost impossible to find a brand new Pontiac G5 at a dealer. That’s why we’ve added a $2500 Future Classic Market Adjustment to them.”
How will customers respond to Bridge and other dealers marking up cars? “They never complained before. Same as in the good old days, people will see a markup sticker then leave the dealership quietly. I assume they are going home to move money around bank accounts so that they can make a purchase.