Downtown Dodge

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.

The Showalter name has been synonymous with the automobile business in Vernal for decades. Showalter Ford is a pioneer auto dealer in the Intermountain West. Don Showalter started the business in Vernal nearly 80 years ago. His son, Gary Showalter, has broadened the family involvement with the acqusition of Downtown Dodge.

Gary purchased the business in February of this year. He likes the Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep products, and the location and reputation of the dealership makes it a complementary addition to the Showalter automobile enterprise.

Downtown Dodge was once called "Utah Motors" and was established in 1939. Sales manager Ron Bowden tells me that the dealership is proud of its service and parts department. It recently hired an employee who owned his own shop for more than 30 years and had a large and dedicated following. The dealership has also hired several trained and qualified technicians to better satisfy customers' needs for quality service in a timely manner.

I was impressed with the models displayed on the showroom floor, and Gary tells me that the quality of the Dodge, Chrysler and Jeeps is superb. Styling and quality is much improved in recent years, and pricing is comparable to foreign competitors. I asked why American-made cars had trouble for so many years. Gary explained that the unions had extreme power in the days when American cars ruled the world. Employment contracts and retirement programs added thousands of dollars to the price, and American carmakers couldn't compete with their foreign counterparts. However, things are changing and American cars are now effectively competing. The quality of domestic brands is also as good as, and in some instances, better than foreign counterparts.

Living in a part of Utah that offers no import dealerships requires the customer to take his or her purchases a considerable distance for services. To avoid this, Gary hopes clients will consider Ford, GM and Chrysler the next time they are making an automobile purchase.

For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.