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Closing Chrysler Dealerships Must Sell Inventory

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May 15, 2009 8:38 pm US/Eastern

Closing Chrysler Dealerships Must Sell Inventory

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The Chrysler Corporation's decision to close 789 of its 3,200 dealerships, including 16 in the Pittsburgh area, left owners in shock and sent them scrambling to sell off inventory.

Burgunder Dodge has been wheeling and dealing new and used cars for nearly five decades.

Until yesterday - the prospect of a "going out of business sale" was never part of the plan.

"It was devastating for all of us. We knew there was something going on with Chrysler Corporation but we didn't think it would be us," Sales Manager Kevin McCrory said.

With its less than 5-year-old state-of-the art showroom it was a stunner ending up on the closing list.

Kevin McCrory started at Burgunder as a teenager.

Now, after working his way up to sales manager, he finds himself overseeing a liquidation sale.

"Eliminating all the vehicles that we have - you don't know what we might do to sell one of these vehicles."

Spoken like a true car salesman. With about 70 vehicles in stock, prices are being slashed.

"You can have up to $7,000 off on a new vehicle," he said.

Past customers are calling offering support - and new buyers are looking for a deal.

"Lots of people coming in - we've been swamped with phone calls this morning," he said. 

Not far away on Route 50 in Hickory at Corwin Chrysler-Jeep, Bo Corwin was not at all pleased with Chrysler's putting him on the closing list.

"The bankruptcy laws - they can just walk away - and that's not really fair," he said.

The family-owned dealership has been around for almost 65 years. It's the oldest Jeep dealer in the country.

They will continue, but only selling pre-owned vehicles.

Right now the pressure is on to sell all its new Chrysler models to be able to pay for the inventory, by the company imposed date of June 9 - a date Bo Corwin believes is totally unrealistic.

"We used to sell 20-25 cars a month - with the recession we're selling 10-12 cars a month. I got 30 cars so I basically have three months worth of cars to sell in two and a half weeks," he said.

Bo is hoping he can sell some of those cars to other Chrysler dealers.

He is also offering to sell at dealer prices to the public. And he's lobbying legislators to get the date moved.

"It takes them forever to do anything. Well, they just have to wake up and realize that the little guy is at the bottom - they talk about it - but they don't know about it."

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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