How automakers distribute vehicles to the market is top of mind for car dealers as they look to their long-term futures.
And while dealers have quashed past efforts by legacy automakers to sell directly to consumers, the specter of such a model eventually becoming dominant in the industry is their greatest fear, according to The Presidio Group’s latest Dealer Direction Survey.
Nearly two-thirds of dealers responding to a survey question on the biggest long-term risk factors for traditional franchised dealerships selected a direct sales model — making it their central concern by a wide margin.