In this unique and lively ethnography of women who sell cars, sociologist Helene M. Lawson and the "ladies on the lot" take readers behind the scenes of one of the last bastions of a predominantly male workplace: the car dealership. Linking the women's own stories within the broader framework of gender and occupation, Lawson presents an engaging and important case study on the impact of gender differences and behavior in the workplace. In doing so, Ladies on the Lot makes an original contribution to the field and will be of interest for a wide variety of courses, including gender and occupations, the sociology of work, the sociology of women, and various courses in women's studies and qualitative methods.

When Ferrari of Los Gatos opened, few people could afford an expensive sports car. In 1976, the average annual income was $12,686, and a new home cost about $48,000. Motorists in California could only buy gas on odd or even-numbered days based on the last digit of their license plate, due to the global oil crisis. Times were tough, and people were hesitant to take chances, especially with a car that cost more than a house. At the same time, Brian Burnett and his friend Richard Rivoir had the idea of starting a Ferrari dealership. The Dealer is the story of how one dealership, Ferrari of Los Gatos, fueled the rise of the iconic Italian sports car in the U.S. market on its way to becoming the number one Ferrari dealer in North America. Even Enzo Ferrari himself took notice, flying Brian and the other dealers to Italy to show his appreciation for their success. Customers included movie stars, sports celebrities, entertainers, and some with unusual sources of income and a strong desire for a low profile. Along the way, Burnett made friends, enemies, and millions of dollars, only to lose everything in the blink of an eye. Author Jim Ciardella shows readers a part of Ferrari that no one has even seen, with behind-the-scenes stories as told to him by Richard Rivoir and Brian Burnett, their customers and employees, and other North American dealers who all rode high and eventually burned out on selling fast cars.

How to Start, Run and Grow a Used Car Dealership on a Budget Start Part-Time or Full-Time Right from Home-Start Your Own Used Car Business It is not hard to become a used car dealer even if you are on a tight budget. As far as the income potential is concern, it is higher than most other side gigs you will find. Just imagine this, you buy a 6 years old Toyota Camry with 87K miles for $4,500, you bring it home, clean it up, fix few minor scratches, wash it wax it, then put it up for sale on Craigslist for $7100. In the first three days you get a few calls, and after 4 test drives, you sell it for $6,600. Let's see how much you made from this sale. You paid $4,400 + you spend $350 on fixing minor issues, so your total cost was $4,750, but you sold it for $6,600, so your net profit from this sale is $6,600-$4,750 = $1,850 Not bad for few hours of work. You see if you buy the right type of cars and price them right, there is no reason you can't sell 2-3 cars a month and make a handsome extra income each month. I have a friend, who has a small insurance business. He has been selling cars on the side for last 25 years, and he told me just by selling 2-3 cars a month, he was able to pay for college for all his three kids. On the other hand, if you want to grow, then start small but reinvest the profit you make from selling each car back into the business and soon you will see, you are growing at a fast and steady pace, but you have to be focused and dedicated. Let's See What You Will Learn From This Book: 12 Steps to get started All 50 State licensing requirements Bond and insurance you will need Personal financial statement & sample How to incorporate and Name your business Sample Article of Incorporation Which is the best legal business entity for you How to get a EIN number and open a Commercial Bank account Where to get all your dealer supplies and Forms What and how Auction houses work How to get started on a tight budget How to find financing for your new business All Legal requirements How to develop your Inventory How to sell cars How much can you make How to do it part-time from home Dealer management software How to grow your used car dealership Enjoy and good luck!

Asphalt Nation is a major work of urban studies that examines how the automobile has ravaged America’s cities and landscape, and how we can fight back. The automobile was once seen as a boon to American life, eradicating the pollution caused by horses and granting citizens new levels of personal freedom and mobility. But it was not long before the servant became the master—public spaces were designed to accommodate the automobile at the expense of the pedestrian, mass transportation was neglected, and the poor, unable to afford cars, saw their access to jobs and amenities worsen. Now even drivers themselves suffer, as cars choke the highways and pollution and congestion have replaced the fresh air of the open road. Today our world revolves around the car—as a nation, we spend eight billion hours a year stuck in traffic. In Asphalt Nation, Jane Holtz Kay effectively calls for a revolution to reverse our automobile-dependency. Citing successful efforts in places from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, Kay shows us that radical change is not impossible by any means. She demonstrates that there are economic, political, architectural, and personal solutions that can steer us out of the mess. Asphalt Nation is essential reading for everyone interested in the history of our relationship with the car, and in the prospect of returning to a world of human mobility.

“A definitive account . . . It’s hard to imagine anyone better than Paul Ingrassia to ‘ride shotgun’ on a journey through the sometimes triumphant, often turbulent, history of U.S. automaking. . . . [A] wealth of amusing, astonishing and enlightening nuggets.”—Pittsburgh Tribune-Review This is the epic saga of the American automobile industry’s rise and demise, a compelling story of hubris, missed opportunities, and self-inflicted wounds that culminates with the president of the United States ushering two of Detroit’s Big Three car companies—once proud symbols of prosperity—through bankruptcy. With unprecedented access, Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Ingrassia takes us from factory floors to small-town dealerships to Detroit’s boardrooms to the White House. Ingrassia answers the big questions: Was Detroit’s self-destruction inevitable? Why did Japanese automakers manage American workers better than the American companies themselves did? Complete with a new Afterword providing fresh insights into the continuing upheaval in the auto industry—the travails of Toyota, the revolving-door management and IPO at General Motors, the unexpected progress at Chrysler, and the Obama administration’s stake in Detroit’s recovery—Crash Course addresses a critical question: America bailed out GM, but who will bail out America? With an updated Afterword by the author Praise for Crash Course “In order to understand just how much of a mess it was—not to mention how it got that way and how, if at all, it can be cleaned up—you really need to read Crash Course.”—The Washinton Post “Ingrassia tells Detroit’s story with economy, vigour and restrained fury.”—The Economist “A delightful mix of history and first-person reporting . . . Employing superb storytelling skills, Ingrassia explains in head-shaking detail the elements of a wholly avoidable collision.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

An entire volume dedicated to detailing and preserving the iconic muscle car dealerships of the 1960s and early 1970s, many whose doors are now closed. Text is supported with more than 350 historic photos and illustrations. Muscle car historian Duncan Brown revisits this glorious automotive era when Nickey 427 Camaros and supercharged Dodge Demons by Grand Spaulding Dodge terrorized the streets. Drag sponsored cars from Reynolds Buick, Yeakel Chrysler-Plymouth, and Mel Burns Ford informed buyers that if you came to their dealership, you too could have a screaming fast muscle car just like the ones you saw at the dragstrip. It was these dealerships that created the lasting muscle car legacy through their innovative advertising and over-the-top performance. The majority of these dealerships floundered, unable to re-attract the customers they had prior to the muscle car. Thankfully, a volume has been dedicated to preserving the history of those less fortunate and revisiting the past success of these Lost Muscle Car Dealerships.