I mentioned before about how my local car dealership was hitting me with “buy a new car and we’ll lock in pre-tariff pricing.”
Well, now the tactic has changed. I’m now getting messages from not only my local car dealership, but from ANY car dealership whose paths and i have previously crossed – and, one by one, they all say nearly the same thing.
“Can we buy your 2017 Chevrolet Volt Premier from you at a good market price?”
I get it. Car dealerships do this all the time. They want to buy your old car with promises of “We’ll pay you top dollar for it,” and then they’ll find a tiny flake of paint missing from the undercarriage and suddenly your car has lost half its value before they even make you an offer. And then you’re left without a car – which, conveniently, leaves you in a vehicle dealership with OODLES of cars available for purchase. Trust me, car dealerships aren’t in the business because they’re altruistic. They want to buy your car low and sell it high.
But now we have the added factor of the Trumpflation tariffs. Even though Trump has flip-flopped and waffled on who gets hit with tariffs and who doesn’t, the fact is that we’re all going to pay for the tariffs. Not the manufacturer, not the importer, none of them. The consumer will get stuck with the final tariff bill. And if they can get my car and then turn around and sell it at a “post-tariff price,” then they’re going to make a big profit from my vehicle.
One of these “we want your car” came from the Hyundai dealership in Utica where I found Lightning’s Girl in 2022. They were eager to sell me the car way back then – even tried to rope me into an extended warranty for the vehicle, despite Chevrolet already offering a full transferable warranty for the Volt.
“Mr. Miller,” the lady on the phone said, “We would love to purchase your Chevrolet Volt. Do you still have that car?”
“Yes, I do.”
“We can put you in a brand new car if you want,” she seductively cooed.
“No, I’m good. I like this car.”
“But we have newer vehicles. Better fuel mileage and more features.”
“No, that’s fine. You sold me the car of my dreams, and I don’t want to sell it.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” as the seductive coo suddenly went to a disappointed grunt.
“You should be happy, you sold me the best car I’ll ever have.”
“But we were hoping you’d come back and buy another one from us and trade this one in.”
“Nah,” I said. “Have a good day.” Click.
Yeah, I know. Car dealerships have to survive the Trumpflation wave. But you know what? So do all of us. I have to keep Lightning’s Girl going for as long as I possibly can. I have to make sure that everything runs smoothly on it, because even the smallest solenoid is now three times what it originally cost.
Besides, it’s not like any of the other dealerships who want my car have a car that would make me willing to give up Lightning’s Girl.
I mean, nobody’s offering me a 1972 Pontiac GTO “The Judge” in cherry apple red with the spoiler package. Nobody’s offering me a 1976 Pontiac Trans Am with the T-bar roof, mag wheels, and four on the floor. Nobody’s offering me a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro in baby blue accents with the SS engine package and the nitro thrust.
Until you can provide me with something like that … don’t even THINK about putting your fingers on Lightning’s Girl.
Not one fingertip. 😀
Chuck The Writer 
Better fuel mileage than a Volt? That would take some doing. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s one of the best cars ever made.
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