<VV> Dealer ordered options

[Marc Sheridan]

>From what I remember, you couldn't go less than the standard features, hence
no 95/PG Corsas, but everything above that was available piece by piece. Of
course there were the COPO cars, but they were usually only approved for
performance applications.

I believe it was the Japanese that first started offering options packages
that greatly reduced production costs. Instead of hundreds of different
combinations of cars, they reduced it to just a few.

I can't remember when GM finally saw the "option package" light, but I
remember it was great fun ordering my late seventies Olds Cutlass. The
salesman (they were all men then :o)) got so frustrated answering my
questions and demands that he just handed me the book and the order sheet,
which is what I was hoping for.

Marc Sheridan

On Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 9:48 PM, John Beck <jb30343 at navix.net> wrote:

> I was surprised at how little flexibility Toyota had on options when I
> bought my 2008 Tacoma.  I was also puzzled by the way they offer various
> option packages only to specific regions.  I wanted a 4 cyl. engine so I had
> to order through the Texas region to get bucket seats.  Power windows, locks
> and mirrors weren't available at any price unless I took a 6 cyl. engine
> with them...
>
> I'm curious how this compares to Chevrolet in the '60's.  Would a dealer
> have been able to special order a Corsa with a 95 hp engine or a 140
> powerglide Corsa?  --J.B.
>
> >
> > From: "Dave Thompson" <dave.thompson at verizon.net>
> > Date: 2008/06/06 Fri PM 08:27:29 CDT
> > To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
> > Subject: <VV> Dealer ordered options
> >
> > My dad was a regional sales exec for Chevrolet in the early 60's. We have
> > never discussed Corvair sales in particular. However, I do remember him
> > saying that he had some dealerships that would order more "fully loaded"
> > cars than "strippers". Others ordered just the opposite. He also said
> that
> > the rural dealerships were usually the "stripper" orders. Some
> dealerships
> > encouraged "customer ordered vehicles" and others discouraged it in order
> to
> > sell what was in stock. He said that Chevy had many options that had
> > "required numbers ordered" in order for a dealership to get the vehicles
> > that they really wanted. If there is more interest, I'll get my dad
> involved
> > with this discussion.
> >
> >
> >
> > Dave Thompson
> >
> > 63 Spyder Vert
>