Dowens say goodbye to car business
In the complex world of automobile wheeling and dealing, the traditional mom-and-pop operation appears to be fast-tracking its way to extinction.
Sometime during the first week of October, Jim and Darlene Dowen, longtime owners of Jim Dowen Nissan-Mazda-Subaru, will sell out and move on down the line.
"Yes, when I finally walk out of here, it will be really hard to say good-bye to my employees and customers," said Jim Dowen, 63. "And yes, some tears will be shed. But the day-to-day running of the business - I won't miss that at all."
Dowen is selling to John Simpson of Seattle, who previously owned dealerships in Bozeman and Spokane and who currently runs two Volvo stores in Seattle. Longtime Dowen general manager G.J. Hensen will be a part owner and minority stockholder in the new enterprise, which will be called John Simpson Nissan-Mazda-Subaru.
Following completion of the sale, business at the 30-employee operation will continue as always, Dowen said.
With 43 years in the industry - 21 years of them at the helm of Jim Dowen Nissan-Mazda-Subaru - Dowen sees himself as something of a "student of the car business."
"What does America want?" he asks.
"For the past five years, Americans have asked for maximum horsepower, sporty cars with big engines, SUVs and high-performance trucks. I think of it as the 'gluttony of America.' And no one knows what the breaking point will be for consumers. Will it be $3, $4, or $5 for a gallon of gas?"
Dowen - whose dealership markets Japanese vehicles - believes that in light of recent fuel spikes, the Big Three Detroit automakers are fast losing their market share to Asian car manufacturers.
"Detroit built its franchises on large SUVs, trucks and 4x4s - not on economy cars," he said. "Foreign cars are built more for resale and great fuel economy.
"We've seen a lot of full-size SUV trade-ins in the last month here."
One element of the car business that has changed radically during Dowen's time in the business is marketing. Gone are sales people in shiny nylon shirts and heavy gold necklaces.
"I think the consumer wanted car dealers and salesmen to clean up their act," Dowen said.
The eternal mystique of auto pricing has become considerably more transparent with the advent of the Internet, Dowen said. Because consumers are able - and willing - to do much of their own research online, they are more likely to walk into a dealership and demand up-front pricing.
Dowen said that typically he expects to make between $500 and $1,500 on a sale, depending on the popularity of the vehicle. Negotiations on no-trade deals are fairly straightforward. Trade-ins can take longer.
"People often don't realize that while a house may be an appreciable item, a car is almost always a depreciable item," Dowen said.
While admitting there have been some truly awful vehicles for sale during the past two decades - he cites the Yugo as an example - Dowen said that today most vehicles marketed in North America are more than fine.
"Quality starts with the engineering and the person who does the design," he said. "People want a car that lasts and lasts - like a Tootsie Roll. Yet, despite this, Americans trade their cars in every three to four years. They seem to get nervous and suddenly want something new."
Dowen's dealership sells an average of 60 vehicles per month - both new and used - and generally maintains a 120-vehicle inventory.
Following their retirement, the Dowens plan to take a year to do volunteer work for such organizations as St. Matthew's Catholic Church, the United Way and the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, of which Jim Dowen is a past president.
They will spend nine months each year at their Bigfork residence and three months at their home in Phoenix.
"Maybe in three years I'll be working at a golf course - mowing grass or doing something in the pro shop," Dowen said. "In any case, it will be something that is not auto-related."
So why retire now?
"A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with melanoma," Dowen said. "I've had two major surgeries since then.
"My health is good now, but that diagnosis was definitely a wake-up call. I learned that I was not really invincible after all. These days, I'd like to spend more time with my family."
Reporter George Kingson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at gkingson@dailyinterlake.com