Ford Motor Company Presents How Do They Do It? 1939 Dealer Film On Selling The New Ford Car

How Do They Do It is a Ford educational training film which instructs Ford dealers how to improve sales through better management practices. The basis of the film is a dealer is visited by a Ford Company representative to help him increase his sales and volume. The dealer owner and his wife go visiting dealers all over the U.S. - dealers discuss their business methods with him and he comes back ready to implement what he has learned. This is a great video watching how training films were done back then.

[@williamforbes5826]

I have seen some really good movies in the past that were black and white. It lends to an aura of being old. The days of Bogart and Casablanca. The African Queen. Film Noir. It is the only thing I miss from cable/satellite tv.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I know what you mean. I ditched cable back in 2001 and never looked back. But I do miss old films. They were classics. I've got lots more like this coming as I found them interesting, entertaining, and educational, something hard to find in today's world. And it helps me stay on track building that termite nest!

[@williamforbes5826]

@@kensmithgallery4432 You have to name it "Termite's Temptation" or something similar! Wood You? Ken's Kountry Kottage? Termite Bait? The list goes on!

[@danimal0921]

This was a very interesting film! Many of today's new car dealers could stand to take notice of this! While expenses, costs, and financing are far different, the basic ideas are still relevant. I was the parts manager in 2 different Chevy dealerships. The first one dealt with the used car inventory similar to this and did quite well in their profits! The 2nd was continuously buried in used vehicles, had all but the biggest junkers four planned, and was consistently late making the interest payments on them. In the 3½ years I was there, GMAC finance showed up 4 times with a transporter or 3 to repo all of the 4 planned vehicles. Then, and only then, the owner would cut a check for the past due balance PLUS heavy penalties. It is no surprise that they went out of business a whole bunch of years ago! Thanks for sharing this insightful movie!!!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

My pleasure! It was fun and educational for me to watch too!

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

In the 1920s and 1930s (perhaps later), the automakers would purposely stop selling replacement components only a few years after the end of a model year. So if your car was more than five years old it was nearly impossible to find replacement parts. However, Henry Ford insisted on building replacement Model T engines until 1941.

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

There are some fundamental differences in operating a new car dealership now compared to 1939. One important difference now is that the average Parts & Service Dept. is more profitable than the combined selling of new and used cars (approximately 53% of an average dealership profit comes from the Parts & Service Dept.). Also, at least half of customers decades ago paid cash for new cars... with excellent credit required for a typical 18 month auto loan. Now many new car customers have mediocre or terrible credit... or are upside down on their trade in. Back then the typical new car dealer was low volume with a small showroom and minimal inventory. Customers often waited over a month to take delivery of a new car that they ordered. There were no meaningful consumer protection laws then to protect customers. New cars also depreciated quickly then with relatively few surviving a decade or longer.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for commenting and for your thoughts. Times are certainly different today as they were back in 1939 for sure!

[@homesteadpickers]

what cons and still the same today

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching!

[@bluegtturbo]

Snakes in high grass to a man.... Some things never change 😂