Dealerships around the country have been receiving their
very first 2013 Dodge Dart over the past two weeks with these dealers picking
them up and driving them home from “drive away” events all around the US.
Why would they put all of the miles on these
Darts rather than trucking them to dealerships like other vehicles?
Well, these initial units are intended to be
dealership demonstration models that will give consumers a chance to come check
out the car in person before the full wave of production models hits sometime
next month.These drive away events also
give at least one person in that given dealership a chance to log real miles on
the car with no real concern over mileage because these are demo cars – they are
there to rack up miles.
However, in speaking with several consumers around the
country who attempted to experience the 2013 Dodge Dart at their local
dealership, they were told that the one Dart received had already been sold and
the new owner (understandably) asked that it not be used for further
demonstration work.This is great as in
the booming auto industry, all sales are good sales but with rumors indicating
that it could be more than a month until some dealerships get their hands on
more new Dart sedans – could it hurt the sales of the Dart in some areas where
the new compact sedans are harder to get a hold of…or even see in person?
Hopefully, the Chrysler Group recognizes the early
popularity of the 2013 Dodge Dart and hurries these new sedans to dealerships
around the country.The Dart enters the
hectic C segment class with some of the heaviest hitters in the American auto
industry so a lengthy rollout could cost Dodge a few sales to a competitor who
does have cars sitting on the lot.
"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.
Dealerships around the country have been receiving their