The Dispatch wrote
Central Ohio car dealers hanging in there
Sunday, October 26, 2008
BY DAN GEARINO
The economic malaise that has washed over the country hasn’t missed central Ohio, but if you’re a new-car dealer, there are worse places to be than here.
This year through September, central Ohio dealers sold 50,277 new vehicles. That’s down 9 percent from the previous year, but it’s not as bad as it could be. Nationally, sales during that period dropped 13 percent.
High fuel prices have helped drive down sales for pickups and sport-utility vehicles. The Ford F-150 pickup has had a 23 percent drop in local sales during the first three quarters of the year, falling from third to fifth among central Ohio’s favorites. The F-150 is the region’s top-selling model from a U.S.-based manufacturer.
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