The Chrysler Group expects that the 2013 Dodge Dart is going
to be a hot seller when it arrives in the next few weeks and in an effort to
meet the early demand, the company is tasked with coming up with a means to
decide how many units of the sporty sedan each dealership will get.While the Chrysler Group hasn’t offered any
official information as to how they will divvy up the first production Dart
sedans, some dealerships have told Automotive News that the allocation process
is partially based on how well the dealerships in question sold the Dodge
Caliber.
It might come as a shock (and a disappointing one to some)
that the sales volume of the slow-selling Dodge Caliber would have an impact on
which dealers get early Dodge Dart units but it makes good sense.
Those dealerships which were able to sell the highest
numbers of Caliber hatchbacks are obviously in areas where compact cars sell
better and the Dodge Dart is shuffling itself into the slot formerly held by
the Caliber.Aside from these most successful
dealerships being in areas where compact cars are more popular, some of the
dealerships around the country who sold the most Calibers were often just plain
massive dealerships that move lots of product. In either case, it makes perfect sense that in the early days of 2013
Dart sales when demand will likely exceed the rate of supply, those dealerships
that stand to have the greatest demand will also have the most cars on the lots
to sell.
Unfortunately for those hopeful 2013 Dodge Dart owners who live in areas with a Dodge dealership that sold few Dodge Calibers, it might be even harder than you expected to get your hands on a new Dart when they first hit showrooms sometime next month (hopefully).
The first examples of the 2013 Dodge Dart sedan left Texas
Motor Speedway last week en route to their new homes at dealerships around the southwestern
United States.The Chrysler Group has
also announced that a similar drive away event will take place in the Metro
Detroit area this week for the northern Midwest regions of the US.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
The Chrysler Group expects that the 2013 Dodge Dart is going