FM Auto Centre Carlow- another dealership gone

jack of all

This dealership (Opel, Chevrolet, Ssang Yong)has ceased trading since close of business yesterday, which is a pity as I always found them good to deal with. Plenty of surprised motorists pulled up outside the empty showroom today to read the short notice of closure on the entrance doors.:(

Deisedarren

Hopefully some dealership will come in and save the jobs of the ppl worked there. The same people owns the ferrybank motors in Wexford town too

Wicklowandy

Odd time of year after managing to drag through the long winter til january.

Wouldnt think the 131/132 regs could have affected so fast, the writing must have been on the wall for a while:(

blindside88

Seemly they've lost the contract with Opel as a dealership

Wicklowandy

Problems must go deeper than just loss of part of a franchise. Bad news for the employees and owners:(

Certain brands seem to loosening their franchisee requirements regarding glass palace showrooms if you notice the reappointed peugeot dealer in co. wicklow

Autosport

Just passed it today and it terrible to see a garage gone.

road_high

Wicklowandy wrote: »

Problems must go deeper than just loss of part of a franchise. Bad news for the employees and owners:(

Certain brands seem to loosening their franchisee requirements regarding glass palace showrooms if you notice the reappointed peugeot dealer in co. wicklow

The Opel franchise in Kilkenny changed recently too and now that you say it, Youngs had built a celtic tiger ivory tower in 2007. Barlo now have Opel and showroom is far more modest.
Opel should have stayed with Devoys in Carlow

Wicklowandy

Many long standing good dealers lost franchises through the boom when they were unwilling or unable to build glass palaces to the specification of the distributors,to be replaced by a good few outfits with more money (read availability of finance / lack of business acumen) than sense and skill.

Unfortunately some good operators have been stung too. But I believe in the years to come we'll have less and less family operations. We'll have garages controlled by distributors covering larger geographical areas.

Ultimately that will be bad for consumers.

Silvera

Opel dealerships in (south) Kildare have also changed...

- Sheehy Motors, Naas have lost the dealership (despite their glass 'palace')
- Fitzpatricks Garage, Kildare Town are to be appointed the new Opel dealers (modest showrooms....but they too recently lost their Toyota franchise)

road_high

Silvera wrote: »

Opel dealerships in (south) Kildare have also changed...

- Sheehy Motors, Naas have lost the dealership (despite their glass 'palace')
- Fitzpatricks Garage, Kildare Town are to be appointed the new Opel dealers (modest showrooms....but they too recently lost their Toyota franchise)

Jeese, feels like that was only there a few years!
Opel moving back to simpler set ups with lower margins perhaps?

Wicklowandy

Distributors need dealers that have cash flow / good bank relationship, dont think they had any choice about the model they must now follow.

Wait a while, and when the glass palaces are sold by liquidators, expect much more distributor involvment in car sales.

245

Silvera wrote: »

Opel dealerships in (south) Kildare have also changed...

- Sheehy Motors, Naas have lost the dealership (despite their glass 'palace')
- Fitzpatricks Garage, Kildare Town are to be appointed the new Opel dealers (modest showrooms....but they too recently lost their Toyota franchise)

Are Fitzpatricks in Kildare town not Hyundai and Mercedes with Fitzpatricks Naas replacing Toyota with Opel? (and keeping in Hyundai in their second showrooms there)