The last time car inventories were as low as in recent memory came way back in World War Two, when components were diverted to the war machine, and domestic production was suspended for several years.
The war against the novel coronavirus has had its impact on domestic dealerships, with on-the-lot inventories having fallen to as low as 5 to 10 percent of expectations at various points over a two-year period.
Mike Mulder, owner of Arnprior Chrysler, says things are getting better, with on-hand inventories rising steadily over the last eight months.
The Arnprior Chrysler proprietor says he’d prefer to have sixty to seventy various models to choose from, but he’ll settle for the current forty that he has in stock.
Mulder mentions that some import dealerships are being supplied with one demo unit per model, and told to use those to take pre-orders for deliveries.
While semi-conductors are often cited for a lack of available vehicles, there are between fifteen hundred and two thousand manufacturers of components for each and every car- so supply-chain issues are a valid, but blanket excuse for inventory shortages.
Although Mulder anticipates the worst of the supply crisis is behind us, there’s no telling what new twists to the story that the omicron variant will bring.