Dealer profit slips in December

Overall dealer profitability, as measured by Top Gun dealers nationwide, slipped in December to 1.1%, down from 2.6% in November. Overall net profit for the year was 6.7%, off from the 7.0% YTD figure recorded in November and the 7.9% margin reported for the 12 months of 2002.

Showroom traffic also continued to decline in December. Traffic was down 3% in December, compared to December 2002. By comparison, traffic had been down 2% and 4% in October and November, compared to the same months last year.