Serra Automotive has added another dealership to its network with the purchase of Genesee Valley Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Flint Township.
The renamed Al Serra Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram will open at the Al Serra Auto Plaza in Grand Blanc and be housed in the building formerly used for Al Serra Cadillac.
“This is great news for our customers and all of Genesee County,” Serra Automotive President Joe Serra said in a statement. “With the addition of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, the Al Serra Auto Plaza literally will be a convenient one-stop shop for car buyers.”
In April, the company will begin construction on a new Cadillac showroom and a service and parts department. Both projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012.
The Serra Automotive network comprises 35 franchises in five states.
Female car buyers in the San Francisco market are making up a larger customer base for Dodge cars and trucks, according to an analysis by Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information.
The Bay Area market analysis found that of all automotive brands, Dodge has by far made the largest market share gain among women. From January through August 2011 the female share for the mainstream domestic brand has grown to 28 percent, compared to 24 percent during the same period last year. The growth accounts for a 16.7 percent proportional change for the brand year over year.
Biggest Increase in San Francisco Female Market Share, By Brand
Rank
Brand
Female Share Jan-Aug 2010
Female Share Jan-Aug 2011
Proportional Change
1
Dodge
24%
28%
16.7%
2
Buick
30%
33%
10.0%
3
Porsche
20%
22%
10.0%
4
Infiniti
32%
35%
9.4%
5
GMC
26%
28%
7.7%
OVERALL
40%
39%
-1.5%
Source: Polk
Buick placed second in San Francisco by improving its share of sales to women by 10.0%. Luxury brands Porsche (+10.0%) and Infiniti (+9.4%) placed third and fourth, respectively, while GMC (+7.7%) rounded out the top five. Overall, women account for 39 percent of all new cars registered in San Francisco this year – down about 1.5 percent compared to last year, but on par with the nationwide average.
“One thing that the top five brands have in common is that their shares of female buyers all fall well below the industry average of 39 percent within the Bay Area market,” notes Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell. “It’s smart for these brands to develop new and refreshed products that have a stronger appeal with women so that they don’t miss out on an important part of the market.”
Not every car brand is boosting its appeal with women in San Francisco. Chrysler has seen its market share of females shift from 40 percent in the first eight months of 2010 to 34 percent during the same period in 2011, for a proportional change of -15.0 percent. Korean brands Hyundai (-9.3%) and Kia (-8.2%) followed in the bottom five.
To complete this study, Edmunds.com analystsexamined new car registration data provided by Polk during the periods of January 2010-August 2010 and January 2011-August 2011. Only brands selling a minimum of 50 vehicles to females within the market during each time period were considered for the analysis.
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