Local Car Dealers Ready for Clunkers Round Two

Local car dealerships are bracing themselves for the next wave of clunkers.

With the passage of the additional $2 billion in funding for the popular Cash for Clunkers program, and President Obama’s quick signing of the bill, car dealers are preparing for another flood of buyers.

“I’ve been in the car business for 30 years and it’s probably the busiest we’ve ever really seen it,” said Dave Wallace of Dutro Ford Lincoln-Mercury in Zanesville. “Everybody comes in and has a bunch of questions about how it works, ‘Do I qualify and how much can I get? I have to hurry because I need to get in before the program ends.’ It’s created a lot of excitement and a lot of energy flowing.”

Wallace says the program is responsible for the sales of 250,000 new cars across the country. He says before the program ends labor day weekend, they expect another 500,000 to be sold, something local car dealers expect to be a part of after a slow year.

“Prior to that we had seen a slow-down in sales,” he said. “A lot of people are looking at ways to afford a new car or a late model car and what this has done has given them an opportunity to come in and get $3,500 to $4,500, which really changes the price of the car.”

Wallace says the program has instilled consumers with confidence in cars once again.

He says smaller, more fuel-efficient cars like the Ford Fusion and Nissan Versa are big sellers.

He says some are also bringing in their guzzlers, opting for smaller SUVs.