Auto dealer pushes on despite split

At Weinberg Dodge these days, the expression “everything must go” is taken pretty seriously.

The dealership, 13100 S. 71 Highway in Grandview, is one of more than 800 nationwide that had their contracts with Chrysler terminated, but the company will remain open.

For a dealership that has been owned by the Weinberg family for three generations, and affiliated with Chrysler since the mid-1960s, the notice came as a blow.

“Prior to getting the notice we had gone back and forth internally if we would make it or not,” Frank Clinton, Weinberg general manager, said. “We have been a Dodge store since 1966. And we figured since we were the oldest Dodge dealership in Kansas City, how does this store just go away?

“Once we got the letter and opened it up and read it was it an absolute blow? You bet it was. For Mr. Weinberg it was like losing a family member.”

The dealership is owned by Steve Weinberg, Mission Hills.

Chrysler is in the midst of bankruptcy. As part of its mandated restructuring by Congress, the company cut ties with a number of dealers, including Bud Brown Chrysler in Overland Park.

The Chrysler dealerships that received termination notices have until Tuesday to sell their new vehicles to retail customers. After that time, the dealerships can sell their vehicles to other dealerships or at auction.

Another hit to dealerships will be in their service department, where they can no longer perform any warranty work.

Clinton said the dealership plans to stay open after the split with Dodge.

“The Weinberg family started this business in 1929,” Clinton said. “We will be a used car dealership and a full service center. We are going back to our roots. We will continue to be full service, but we will sell strictly pre-owned vehicles.”

Clinton said customers are curious about the dealership’s future.

“It has gone through two phases,” Clinton said. “In the first, 100 percent of people thought we were going out of business. All of our customer base was calling or stopping by to say thanks for your years of service and to get their car serviced while we were still open.

“We’ve done our best to let them know we are open and we will continue to be open.”

After June 9, Weinberg will start marketing its pre-owned stock.

“We will keep the full spectrum of vehicles,” Clinton said. “We’re a big pre-owned dealership already. We’re also known in this part of town as a truck center with our Weinberg Truck Stop. So we will have pre-owned trucks, SUVs, minivans, economy cars. We will have vehicles from $1,000 to $50,000.”

In the next few days, Clinton and his staff will sell as many new vehicles as they can.

“We know the types of deals we are making are just moving dollars,” Clinton said. “It’s not a profit we’re looking to take in for the store. We’re just looking to move inventory.”

With the sea change coming to the dealership, Clinton said that keeping the morale of his staff up is an important part of his day.

“Part of my daily procedure for me is to walk through the dealership and see my employees,” Clinton said. “It starts at the top. We have to keep a positive outlook. This is going to be a viable business, like it has been for years. We’re not getting rid of one employee.”

Clinton said that even though the auto industry is facing challenges, his dealership will push through.

“It’s definitely been a culture change,” Clinton said. “It’s one that has to be a more positive, more uplifting one to customers. We will all win and push through it all.”

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