California’s Car Culture

I read your article about car salesmen with great interest. The “victory” stories of these successful car salesmen in Los Angeles are most enlightening. Few consumers realize the salesman’s determination in profit-taking. By complicating the car-buying experience, these verbal “bait and switch” sellers are assured “easy” money.

It is most entertaining for me to expose the seller’s trade secrets over radio and television.

The public opinion of car salesmen is a strong one. Theirs are considered the least trusted of professions. Recent news indicates car salesmen have risen to tie with the second least trusted profession--lawyers. This landmark improvement in public opinion, reminds one of the Big Three’s car-quality successes in recent years.

DARRELL PARRISH

Los Angeles

Parrish is author of “The Car Buyer’s Art: How to Beat the Salesman at His Own Game.”