Originally Posted by
big john
Don't forget about "factory to dealer incentives". If you move enough cars the finance arm (was GMAC) puts money into your account instead of charging interest, or "flooring". Some years ago my dealer was making over $100K per month by moving so many cars. They could actually sell cars below invoice and still make money.
Also, years ago we were doing over $300K per month in labor. It might be double that now as hourly rates have soared. Plus, markup on parts is ridiculous, and parts sales is higher than you might think. I don't have figures for the dealer but when I worked for an independent shop the gross parts sales was more than the labor. That guy paid us 5% of the parts which was a sweet bonus.
A new car dealer can make a butt-load of money on used cars, too. Used cars are a good place to hide money, too. All kinds of bs is possible with used cars.
I've been reading that the move to electric cars could put the dealers out of business since there is no real need for regular maintenance at profit friendly intervals. For example, on my Taycan, the first recommended service interval is 20,000 miles, and that calls for just a cabin filter and brake fluid flush.