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smarT mOvEs drIven to succeed ACDelco’s North Central Region recognizes its top TSS customers There are plenty of great ACDelco TSS shops in the North Central Region, but four of them were recently recognized with the first-ever Outstanding Achievers Award. Selected for their ACDelco purchases, training participation and high customer-service scores, the four recipients include Spitfire Automotive in Oak Lawn, Ill.; Berger Auto Parts and Service in fort Wayne, Ind.; fuerst Automotive in Broadview heights, Ohio; and hire’s Auto Parts in fort Wayne, Ind. “The awards were presented to the most elite TSS customers in the region as tokens of our partnership and appreciation of their loyalty to ACDelco,” says harold Meyer, regional manager for the North Central Region. “These shops exemplify the very best of what the ACDelco brand stands for, and we’re proud to be associated with them.” Meyer visited each shop personally to present award plaques. Another 46 TSS shops in the region were also noted for their high performance. “This was our first formal recognition of the top-performing accounts, and we’d like to continue acknowledging them with future awards,” says Meyer. At Berger Auto Parts and Service, the award reinforced owner Dan Berger’s belief in the TSS program. “I’m honored to receive the award, but ACDelco itself deserves recognition for the assistance they give us,” he says. “The training and marketing advice is terrific—they (ACDelco) are definitely interested in all aspects of our business.” Berger started his shop in 1983 as a parts store and grew it to include service. The business now includes two locations in fort Wayne, employing more than 20 technicians. “The online training is great, because our techs can participate without traveling,” he says. “As technology keeps progressing on new cars, that’s very important to us.” That steady advancement of technology has represented the biggest changes over the past 26 years in business, he says. “When I started, the business was very affected by the weather— such as flooded carburetors and dead batteries during cold weather,” says Berger. “That’s not the case today. Cars are much better now, so we have to stay on top of the high-tech features that go wrong.” A TSS affiliate since the program started, Berger points to ACDelco’s training as keeping him and his staff on top of that technology. “That’s one of the best aspects of the TSS program,” he says. harold Meyer, ACDelco Regional Manager, visited each of the Outstanding Achievers Award recipients to present personal- ized plaques. he is pictured in these four photos, along with the representatives from each TSS affiliate (depicted in the captions from left to right). (Far left) Dan Berger, owner, and staff, with Harold Meyer, Walter Campbell of ACDelco and Eugene Poinsette of Tri City Automotive And with training keeping Berger’s technicians at the forefront of service technology, more customers make their way to his two shops. It’s a recipe for success that makes Berger Auto Parts and Service an outstanding achiever. n 26 27 Warehouse (Top) Lisyahimba Patilla, John Gemperline, Bob Stout, owner, Tim Kozimor, Peter Gutierrez and Harold Meyer (Center) Harold Meyer, Spitfire Automotive President Rich Malinowski, Sr., and Dom Ramirez (Bottom) Harold Meyer, Eugene Poinsette of Tri City Automotive Warehouse, Tom Hire, owner, and Walter Campbell of ACDelco
28 by Barry Kluczyk photos by the author It takes only a couple of minutes, but in that time a valuable collector car’s worth will be summed up by a room full of knowledgeable enthusiasts. With luck, the car will change hands at the end of its moment in the spotlight, pushed away by the next Corvette or muscle car to cross the block. That’s the summation of a collector car auction’s proceedings, but it’s hardly the sum of all that goes on during the sale. The auction is more than the collective sale of dozens or hundreds of cars, it’s a microcosm of capitalism and a window into the world of automotive obsession. Collector and antique auto auctions have been around for decades, but they’ve become much more popular in recent years. This is due in no small part to the broadcast of the annual Barrett-Jackson sale in Scottsdale, Ariz. Other auction companies, such as Mecum, RM Auctions and Kruse, have enjoyed sales growth in the past decade, as the interest and corresponding value in classic American muscle cars has mushroomed. You can thank the baby boomers for much of the frenzy, as their disposable incomes later in life fueled restoration and acquisition booms that made the muscle car price run-ups of the late 1980s seem like chump change. The recent turmoil in the global economy has put a damper on both prices and the number of cars being sold at auction, but they remain popular venues for enthusiasts to buy and sell— or simply gauge current market conditions. And if you have the means and desire, the time may be right to take advantage of, ahem, “price corrections” and pick up the car of your high-school dreams for a relative bargain. insiDe the auCtion tent If your only perspective of collector car auctions comes from watching millionaires out-ego each other on TV while bidding up one-of-a-kind hemi ’Cudas and ZL-1 Camaros, don’t worry—reality is much less expensive. In most cases, cars sell at or near the market value. In other words, auctions are not the domain of wealthy collectors, brokers and the like. There are dozens of collector car auctions held around the country every year that offer a diverse mix of vehicles that real people can afford. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll score a rare 1969 Trans Am convertible for pennies on the dollar, but if you’re simply looking for a clean classic car that won’t break your budget, you’ll have plenty of choices. The prospect of buying a car at an auction is intimidating to those who’ve never participated, but after you’ve learned the ropes, you’ll likely find it’s a straightforward process and exciting experience. One of the best ways to overcome auction trepidation is attending one strictly as an observer. You don’t have to be a registered bidder to attend a collector car auction, so go as a spectator to learn the basic layout and operation of the sale — and ask questions of the auction staff. Besides learning the ins and outs of the auction process, a collector car auction makes for a fun outing for anyone who appreciates classic cars. Often, the sales attract the very best examples of the rarest and most interesting cars, making it a great de facto car show. if you Plan to buy If you’ve decided to attend an auction to bid on a car and it’s your first time, plan to register with the auction company at least a week or two before the sale. The auction company will typically require a letter of guaranty from your bank that you’ve got the funds to follow through on a sale. In some cases, a bid limit may be instituted. It’s an insurance measure that enables you to, say, bid up a nice, 327-powered ’69 Camaro, but not the million-dollar hemi cars. Once your paperwork is set, you’ll be assigned a bidder’s number. When your dream car hits the stage, you can indicate your bid to the auctioneer with a raise of a hand, a shout or both. Typically, a bidder’s assistant will quickly appear at your side, helping to keep the auctioneer’s attention. Keep in mind that if your bid is accepted as the highest at the auction’s close, you bought the car. There’s no thinking it over or talking to the seller at that point. It’s your car; and generally, the auction company will want payment arrangements to be made that day. In the fine print of your registration, you’ll also see a note about the buyer’s premium. That’s a euphemism for sales commission and that’s how the auction company makes its money. Expect the premium to be anywhere from 5 to 10 percent more than the final, “hammer” price of the car. Do your homework Before sticking your hand in the air on that initial bid, make sure you know as much as possible about the car, its history and the general market price for it. When it comes to the car, it means, for example, knowing that the ’68 gTO was only offered with a 400-cubic-inch engine, so a car in the auction with a 455 engine is incorrect. Also, the car’s value is directly related to whether the engine is original to the car. A seller with nothing to hide will have paperwork available for inspection that specifies whether the drivetrain is original. A car with a non-original engine shouldn’t be avoided, but it won’t be worth top dollar. Inspecting the car also means checking for signs of body repair, rust and less-than-thorough restoration techniques. There are many online resources for popular models, so finding the common problem areas on most cars is relatively easy. One of the drawbacks with the auction is it’s impossible to test-drive the car, so you’re gambling that it’s in good running condition. If the seller is available, ask pointed questions, such as: Does it overheat or is the rear axle noisy? what’s it worth? Knowing what to bid on a car can be difficult. If you’re unsure where to start, let another bidder make the initial offer and proceed from there. It’s important to keep your emotions and ego in check, as the prospect of buying a car at a fair, market-correct price can evaporate during a heated exchange of bids. Decide on your maximum price prior to raising your hand for the first time and stick to it. Also, keep in mind that not all models of a car line are worth their weight in gold. A 1969 Mustang Boss 429 is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, but a 1969 Mustang grande with a garden-variety 302 engine is not. Somewhere in the middle is the classic car that suits you, offering enjoyment on summer cruise nights and, with luck, a return on your investment after a few years. All it takes is a little research and a well-timed raise of your hand when the auctioneer calls for bids. n 29 acdelco.com 800.ACDelco
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