Fwd: Re: european car rentals with Budget/Dollar

[loren01@ix.netcom.com (Scott Bermes)]

You wrote: 
><< Saab has agreements with Budget and Dollar to 
> provide 9000 at various locations.  >>
>
>This post reads a bit like an ad.  What it actually means is that Saab 
>badly needed to unload a large number of 9000 models as their 
>freshness label was about to expire.

An ad for what?  I am just excited about the rental car choice issue  
getting better.  IMHO the reasons why Saab (and other european cars) 
are showing up is not the issue.   I would have loved the opportunity 
to have driven that hot selling and freshly innovated style of the 
'92-'94 Audi 100 series.  Unfortunately that's never been a choice here 
in the US.  I'll be happy to drive any european alternative to the 
Grand Prix, Crown Vic, etc.


>They did a nearly profit-less deal to move the iron. It comes at the 
>end of a sales year that otherwise would have been quite sub-par.  As 
>it is, the are ahead of last year's pace now, but will have to 
>"re-market" the
 same cars as used cars later in life.  It delays >facing the reality 
that the 9000 is no longer able to sell in >reasonable numbers without 
extraordinary measures.

You may very well be correct.  And the reasons BMW, Jaguar, Infinity, 
etc., are showing up on rental lots might be for the same reasons.  It 
also might be because the big three are selling their interests and 
strong arm control, or maybe car rental marketing departments are on to 
something here by offering more choices for customers. Maybe a little 
bit of all these factors. 

The glass is half full, not half empty!  Be happy that here in the US,  
we are experiencing more european and luxury rental car choices.  
Having a choice of a 9000, SUV or a RWD Caprice for a week in the snowy 
mountains of Colorado is nice choice to have.  

Scott
89 200tqw