Oklahoma may still be a pickup state, but they are having to share the roads with more and more luxury cars.
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As Oklahoma's per capita income grows, consumer's tastes are getting a little richer. Luxury car dealers in the metro area are seeing an increase in interest in their cars, and dealerships are adding more lines to appeal to consumers who are willing to plunk down more than $20,000 for a car.
Bob Moore Auto Group recently acquired the rights to sell Saab vehicles at its 13000 N Broadway Extension lot. Saab, owned by General Motors, will be sold alongside Cadillacs, Hummers and Land Rovers at the auto group's dealership. Bob Moore will be the only new Saab dealership in Oklahoma City. The automaker also has a dealership in Tulsa.
Bob Moore purchased the rights to sell Saabs from BRI Imports Inc., 6900 N Broadway Extension, which will continue to sell used Saabs and sports cars, said Sam Flippo, BRI Imports owner.
Heavy construction in front of the store and health considerations made selling the Saab franchise attractive.
"We'll have construction for another year, so it certainly hurt profits," Flippo said. "The primary consideration was that my wife's health isn't good and she was the office manager for 23 years. We just decided it was time to slow down a little bit. Bob Moore was aggressive in attempting to acquire the SAAB franchise. The price was right."
Nationally, the sales of Saabs has slipped by 50 percent in 2006 compared to the first six months of last year, according to sales figures. Partnering with other domestic luxury cars should help sales, said Joe Schick, vice president of sales for the Bob Moore Auto Group.
In June, Bob Moore also opened its first stand-alone Porsche dealership to cater to customers interested in more expensive cars. Bob Moore is the only Porsche dealership in Oklahoma City.
"It's just fits our style of doing business," Schick said.
In the past few years, interest in more expensive cars has increased in Oklahoma. The per capita income also has increased slightly, according to U.S. Bureau of Economic Research. Oklahoma's personal income growth is outpacing national figures. In 2005, Oklahoma per capita income grew by 5.4 percent. The average income last year was $29,330.
"With our economy doing better and with what's going on with the downtown area and the basketball team, our client base is growing," Schick said. Bob Moore already has sold at least two Saabs in the past week.
Other luxury dealerships also are seeing increased interest. At Eskridge Lexus, customers who once drove American-built cars are opting for a Lexus, said Dale Fieker, sales manager.
"The price of domestics are getting very close to ours," Fieker said. "The average consumer would rather own a Lexus than a Cadillac if you are going to pay the same amount of money."
Demand for luxury vehicles remains steady at Mercedes-Benz of Oklahoma City.
"We sell everything we can get," said Tom Davis, spokesman. "It's always a battle for us to get more cars. We could have sold more cars last year if we could get more cars."
While most consumers groan at the idea of paying $3 a gallon for gas, some industries in Oklahoma are reaping the rewards. The boost in the oil and gas industry may be enhancing the market for luxury cars, Fieker said.
"That demographic is not diminishing, especially in Oklahoma," Fieker said. "We've got a lot of multimillionaires here. Our business has been increasing every year since we opened."
