A relentless barrage of bad news surrounding the coronavirus epidemic has begun ...
DETROIT - A relentless barrage of bad news surrounding the coronavirus epidemic has begun to affect customer visits at some U.S. auto dealers and even those businesses that have thrived so far believe a big sales decline is imminent if China’s experience is any guide.
The outbreak has caused automakers to shutter plants in Asia and Europe, and the mounting responses in the United States - school closures, pro sports leagues suspending play and other big events canceled - are now being felt by some U.S. dealers. For a sign of what may be in store, analysts said look no further than China, where auto sales plunged 79% last month.
“When schools close, mothers get worried - and this stops economic activity,” industry consultant and former GM executive Warren Browne said. “It’s going to happen,” Beau Boeckmann, president of Galpin Ford in the Los Angeles area and one of the largest U.S. Ford dealers, said of a potential drop in sales. “We’re kind of still in this odd wait-and-see moment.”
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