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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Longtime Car Dealership Closing Doors

Courtesy Chevrolet, one of the first car dealerships to open in Thousand Oaks, will close Feb. 9. The auto dealer, located in the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall, has been doing business for more than 40 years. Thousand Oaks Economic Development Manager Gary Wartik called the closure of the dealership a “blow to the psychology, to the morale of a town this size not to have a Chevrolet dealer. It’s part of Americana.” He believes that the closure of the Chevrolet dealer is related to the losses that the Big Three automakers have suffered as a whole during the economic downturn. However, Wartik also said that an attempt was made to purchase the dealership last year. “The business was for sale,” Wartik said. “They had a buyer.” But the buyer, the name of whom Wartik would not disclose, could not obtain the necessary financing to make the purchase. Wartik hasn’t given up hope that a new buyer won’t materialize. He said that another prospective buyer is in talks to purchase the dealership. “They have to be approved by General Motors Corporation, depending on the familiarity GM has with buyer, (the process) can move faster or slower.” Wartik doesn’t believe that other Thousand Oaks dealers are likely to go under anytime soon. He said that the city’s auto mall is doing significantly better than other such malls nationwide. Now, he’s more concerned about finding employment for the workers displaced by Courtesy Chevy’s closure. “They had about 80 employees,” Wartik said. “We’re obviously concerned about their welfare.”

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