Auto Dealers Reporting 10% to 40% Rise in Sales for 1994

In yet another indication that Ventura County is climbing out of the recession, auto dealers throughout the county report a strong sales comeback in the first five months of 1994.

Dealers say their business is up 10% to 40% from the same period a year ago, when many showrooms were empty much of the time. The improvement comes along with gains in employment and home sales reported in recent months.

At Kirby Oldsmobile/Jeep/Eagle/Suzuki in Ventura, for instance, demand for the Jeep Cherokee utility vehicle has been so strong that customers wanting special options must wait more than a month for delivery, according to sales manager Matt Kelleher.

“It’s the hottest line we have,” he said. “We’ll receive 60 Cherokees and Grand Cherokees from the factory this month, and we expect to sell every one of them.”

Buyers wanting special colors or other options are having to wait an average of 38 days for delivery from Chrysler, which makes the Cherokee, Kelleher said. The vehicle ranges in price from $15,500 to $32,000.

Overall, through May sales at the Kirby dealership have increased at least 10% over the first five months of last year, Kelleher noted, “and we’re sure we’re going to maintain the pace.”

At Nesen Motor Car Co. in Thousand Oaks, sales are up 20% thus far this year--and the dealership said it’s been successful in marketing its newest line, Rolls-Royce.

“We’ve already sold five Rolls since we started carrying them a month or so ago,” said Gary Nesen, Nesen Motor’s chief executive. He said three Rolls Silver Spurs, costing about $198,000 each, have already been delivered, while two other Rolls are on order. He added that the buyers are all “movie people or entrepreneurs.”

Sales of Nesen Motor’s other nameplates, including Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Lexus and Infiniti are all ahead of last year, Nesen said. “The economy has turned. We’re looking forward to an excellent summer.”

Bob Fisher, general sales manager at Paradise Chevrolet in Ventura, said business has improved every month thus far this year. “We sold about 200 new and used cars last month,” he said. “That’s about equal to our pace in 1986, which was a good year.”

Fisher added: “There’s definitely been a change in people’s attitudes. They realize some companies around here have closed down, but they’ve decided to get on with their lives.”

Shay Rowe, general sales manager at Pacific Coast Nissan in Oxnard, said sales are up 40% over the first five months of last year. “Compared to a couple of years ago, when we took over this dealership, business is absolutely fantastic,” he said.

At Simi Valley Honda & Acura, business in the first five months of the year was up 10% to 15% over the same period in 1993, reported sales manager Kevin Steng.

“Our bread-and-butter cars, the Honda Civic and Accord, are both doing well,” he said. He notes, however, that some Acura models, priced at about $45,000, aren’t attracting a great deal of buyer interest right now.