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Dollar tops Oregon Olds dealers in 2001 By GREG STILES Mail Tribune When Dollar GMC Oldsmobile sold the last Olds of 2001 last month, General Manager Todd Worcester knew it had been a good year. So good that the Medford dealership, owned by Dave Mills, Alan DeBoer and Duane Wallace, was the top Olds retailer in the state for the 12-month period. Dollar sold 132 new Oldsmobiles, including 74 Aleros, a sporty mid-sized sedan, in 2001. The 74 Aleros equal the entire number of new Oldsmobiles the company sold in 2000. "We almost doubled what we sold in 2000," Worcester said. Although monthly figures were fairly consistent, Worcester said zero-percent financing the company offered post-Sept. 11 helped. "It went nutty for awhile," he said. Dollar had 33 Oldsmobiles on hand on Monday. "We'd be lucky to have 10 in years past," Worcester said. "We got very aggressive with ordering cars because of the amount we sold." Regionally, Dollar ranked 25th in Western states for sales during 2001. "To compete against dealerships in markets like Portland, Salem and Eugene and come out on top is quite an achievement," said Worcester. "I mean, you have to realize that they have a lot more population base from which to draw." General Motors announced in December 2000 that it was phasing out Oldsmobile, which began building cars in 1895. But as long as they sell in economically viable volumes, GM will continue making Oldsmobile's current models - the Alero, Intrigue and Aurora sedans, the Silhouette minivan and the Bravada sport-utility vehicle - until the end of their planned life cycles in about 2004. The Silhouette is oldest of the models. At the time GM announced it would kill Oldsmobile, there were roughly 2,800 dealers. The number has dropped - as of last September, 200 dealerships had closed and another 600 had reached buyout agreements. GM has set aside $583 million to compensate Olds dealers. Worcester said he talked to a Southwest Washington dealer last week who was trying to sell vehicles in preparation of closing. "We're not planning to be one of dealers to get phased out," Worcester said. GM was to address concerns from Olds dealers Monday in a meeting at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in New Orleans. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.