Dealer cashes in on vibrant used car market
Auto Buy Smart sells high-end vehicles in air-conditioned showroom space
Across the board, major automobile manufacturers are reporting a dip in new car sales. Even after offering steep discounts and incentives, automobile dealers have been unable to move many sedans from their showroom floors.
According to J.D. Power and LMC Automotive, “U.S. auto sales in April likely fell almost 2 percent from a year earlier. Instead, car buyers are opting for SUVS and trucks.”
However, according to Cox Automotive, 2016 was a record year for used car sales, with almost 41 million vehicles sold, and the trend is expected to continue through 2018. The reason is that a record number of low-mileage vehicles have started to come off lease during this period of time.
Taking advantage of the buyer’s quest for quality used cars at a great price, Auto Buy Smart, a division of Lotus Las Vegas, has decided to change the way used car lots look and feel.
Located at 6401 Centennial Center Blvd., Auto Buy Smart has nearly 100,000 square feet of air-conditioned showroom space with some of the finest used cars in the Las Vegas Valley.
“Generally, our newer vehicles are in much nicer condition than you will find on the average dealer lot,” said Harold Drezner, general manager.
However, Drezner was being modest, because walking into the Auto Buy Smart showroom is more like walking into a classic car museum. While the used car dealer does have a great selection of late model 2010 to 2017, high-end, low-milage automobiles such as Porsche, Mercedes, Lexus, BMW, Jaguar and, of course, Lotus, it also has the largest selection of some of the finest-looking classic automobiles in Las Vegas and each one in pristine running condition.
When was the last time you saw a 1932 Pontiac 302 convertible with a rumble seat and brilliant white wall tires, or a 1934 Ford Deluxe Custom, made famous by the notorious Depression-era bandits Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow?
For boomer-era car enthusiasts, a 1966 springtime yellow Ford Mustang convertible with black and tan interior might just set your heart aflutter. Or how about a white 1966 Plymouth Barracuda Fastback with red and white interior.
At any given time, Auto Buy Smart has between 170 and 200 automobiles on its showroom floor. However, if a buyer does not see the car that they want, the salesmen at Auto Buy Smart have access to a used car vehicle network that allows them to locate and purchase the car of your dream.
Of course, buying an automobile is one thing, but keeping it running is a whole different story. In addition to selling great automobiles, the dealership has a 30-bay maintenance shop with mechanics who know their way around a dual SU carburetor equally as well as they know how to repair fuel injectors and superchargers. And the shop is equipped with the latest computerized diagnostics, parts and tools for repairing all makes and models of modern vehicles.
The key to Auto Buy Smart’s inventory is low mileage and great condition. Each car is put through a complete engine and body inspection before being placed on the showroom floor.
“We understand that a lot of people are on a budget and, on occasion, we take in some really nice trade-ins that other dealers would normally wholesale out,” Drezner said. “However, we put those cars through the shop to thoroughly check the mechanics to make sure they are solid and put them on our floor as ‘value cars,’ selling them for $5,000 to $6,000.”
Of course, the way to truly buy a car is to sit in the driver’s seat, feel the upholstery, look under the hood and see if it fits your style and personality. The fact that all the vehicles are in an air-conditioned space makes the experience much nicer when temperatures reach over 100 degrees.
However, if you are curious about the inventory, you can check out some of the vehicles at www.autoBuysmart.com. Because they buy and sell so many vehicles, not every vehicle is on the website.