July 6, 2005
Gas prices may be going up but most car prices are going down as the big three U.S. automakers prepare for an all-out summer price war. But not every Ford, Chrysler or GM vehicle is on sale. Most of the hot stuff people are standing in line to buy is quietly excluded from the summer promotions.
For example, the newly extended GM employee-discount deal does not apply to the Chevrolet Corvette, Pontiac GTO and medium-duty trucks. The Corvette and the medium-duty trucks were also excluded from the June program.
GTO sales spiked 141 percent last month, leaving dealers with limited availability. The GTOs that remain are selling for top dollar.
The Chrysler program will shave thousands of dollars off the sticker prices of most 2005 models, but note the hot-selling Chrysler 300 sedan, the Dodge Magnum wagon or the all-new Dodge Charger.
The Dodge Viper sports car and vehicles from Chrysler's SRT performance line are also excluded from the discount program. The SRT performance line includes the new commemorative editions of the 2005 Dodge Viper SRT10, the 2005 Dodge SRT4 and the 2005 Dodge Ram SRT.
Over at Ford, not all vehicles qualify for the family pricing plan either.
The exceptions include the hot-selling Ford Mustang, the Escape Hybrid SUV and the Ford GT sports car. The Lincoln Mark LT pickup also is exempt because it is only available as a 2006 model.
