Pandemic hitting auto dealers

ENTERPRISE — Doug Crow, co-owner of Main Street Motors in Enterprise, said the pandemic has caused large dealerships and auto makers nationwide to shut down or scale back.

“I’m just kind of guestimating that with the way COVID-19 has caused dealerships all over the country to shut down … now the late-model used cars that we specialize in are getting hit hard, too,” Crow said.

According to reports by a national used-car dealership organization that posts movement of inventory and lists automobiles online, Crow said there was a bit of a rise in sales during the early part of the pandemic. Figures from early April showed about 56,000 vehicles sold, increasing to a high of 65,000 by mid-April.

From there, it was a steady decline to less than 24,000 vehicles July 8.

“We’ve never had a better month than June,” Crow said.

He said his lot received inquiries from all over the country and sold nearly 30 vehicles that month.

“For a little outfit like us, that’s not bad,” he said.

But looking ahead with the bleak prospects for the availability of inventory, Crow isn’t particularly optimistic.

“We’ve wondered if we can survive or should we make plans to get out of the business?” he said. “It’s tough to have enough inventory to remain in the black at the end of the month.”

Enterprise’s other dealership, Milligan Motors, has sold all its new inventory. Management there, however, declined to comment on the reason or the future.

Gas prices continue to rise

PORTLAND — Demand for gasoline in the United States has climbed to its highest level in four months as stocks decreased, according to AAA. The combination is sending pump prices higher in most states, and the West Coast continues to have the most expensive gas in the nation.

For the week, the national average increased 2 cents to $2.20 a gallon. The Oregon average gained 3 cents to $2.65. Oregon’s average is 56 cents less than a year ago.

Oregon has the fourth highest pump prices on the West Coast, while Washington is third at $2.78 a gallon. Hawaii is first at $3.22 and California second at $3.13.

For the fifth week in a row, AAA reported, Hawaii and California remain the only two states in the nation with an average at or above $3 a gallon.

“Gasoline supply and demand continue to be on a roller coaster ride due to COVID-19,” said Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho. “We’re seeing driving behaviors ebb and flow as people react to developments surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. All in all, the relatively low demand and high supply are keeping gas prices in check this summer.”

Oregon traffic volumes are steadily increasing, according to the report. The most recent traffic volume report (July 10) from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows the most recent full week saw an average reduction of 6% in weekday traffic volumes and a 26% eduction in weekend volumes overall compared to the previous year. For the month of April, traffic began with 43% lower weekday volumes and 55% lower weekend volumes than 2019.

Oregon is one of 39 states and the District of Columbia with prices higher than a week ago. Indiana has the largest weekly increase, with a jump of 10 cents a gallon, while Wisconsin has the largest week-over-week decrease at a drop of 2 cents per gallon.