12
Thursday, March 4, 1976
2. (1) 3, 5
University Daily Kansan
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New car sales increase
Staff Writer
By FRED JOHNSON
Lawrence car dealers agree that new car sales for the first two months of 1976 have increased sharply compared with the same period last year.
The amount of increase in local sales varied from 25 per cent at Jayhawk Volkswagen to 267 per cent at Dale Willey Pontiac-Cadillac Inc.
Sales personnel for local dealers credit the increased sales to a stronger economy, stabilization of the fuel situation, increased need for cars and good weather.
Although the sales personnel agreed that new car sales have increased, they have different opinions about whether the buying trend is toward small or large cars.
Bruecke said Jim Clark Motors' new cars were sold up to 30 per cent from last year, and many customers bought buying cars this year because they had gone a long time without trading and now needed a new car. People were worried about the price of cars, and had put off buying a new car, he said.
L. Brubuck Jr., sales manager for Jim Clark Motors, a Chrysler dealer, said this week that he has ordered intermediate sized cars to account for about 70 per cent of the company's sales this year.
"THE TREND is toward intermediate sized cars," he said. "Our best selling model is the Aspen. It's somewhere between a compact and intermediate car. It what's will someday be called the standard sized car. The standard size will have the room and accessories of a large car but will get better gas mileage and be less expensive."
Jess Grant, salesman for Turner Chevrolet, said although total sales had increased between 30 and 50 per cent, small customers were not buying as many. Many customers tried the small cars
and are now going back to the large cars with small engines, he said.
GRANT SAID the price of gas would determine what size cars people would buy in the future. He said Turner Chevrolet made a large percentage of intermediate and large size cars.
Al Kells, sales manager for John Haddock
and seemed to be toward large cars because of
higher price of gas. People have adjusted
their budget to allow for a higher fuel bill,
or
Kells said that during the first two months of last year small cars accounted for about 60 per cent of new car sales. This year it is the highest since about 60 per cent of the sales are large cars.
"The demand for large cars is greater than we anticipated," he said. "We don't have to drive."
KELLS SAID John Haddock Ford's sales
in Ireland and Europe cent over
imports and February last year.
Bryan Sanders, of Sanders Motor Co., said this year's Lincoln Mercury sales were double that for the two month period last year.
"The Lincoln Continental and the full-sized Mercury are our best sellers now," he said. "Last year about 80 per cent of our sales were small cars.
"I don't think the public wanted small cars," he said. "I think the gas situation forced people to buy small cars and now that gas doesn't cost $1 a gallon like they thought it would, they're going back to larger cars."
"However," Sanders said, "if the price of people would probably go back to gift cards,
DALE WILLEY, owner of Dale Willey
CADLAC- Cadlac, said that a line of
workmen had been killed in the area.
He said that he had added a line of American Motors small cars and that the sale of Gremilns, Pacers and Hornets had greatly increased his business.
economy were responsible for a 267 per cent increase in his sales.
Willer also said people had saved their money for the last few years and now had enough confidence in the economy to spend money for a new car.
George Schuler, sales manager for Jack Ellen Buck-Oldsmile, said sales had increased although he didn't have exact figures for January and February.
SCHULER SAID he thought large car sales accounted for most of the increase.
"I haven't noticed a decline in the sale of small cars," he said. "It's just a slight increase, and I consider it a small gain."
Schuler said he thought more people were buying large cars because most car owners expect their next year. For example, he said, General Motors is going to shorten the wheel base of some of its larger cars to 116 or 118 inches and replace them with smaller ones in the car now when they are available, he said.
Toyota are selling better than expected, according to Don Perkins, sales manager for Lawrence Toyota. He said he expected more people to buy small cars because the higher gas prices had made customers more conscious of mileage.
THE SAID TOYOTA sales increased about
four percent last January and February
Danny Vantuiy, sales manager for Jayhawk Volkswagen, said that the 25 per cent increase in sales was about what he had expected.
He said that sales had increased because customers were economizing and wanted the good gas mileage they could get with a Volkswagen.
Expanded continuing education classes sponsored by the University of Kansas are being offered in Kansas City, Kan., and Topeka.
Area continuing ed expands
By CONRAD BIBENS Staff Writer
A former elementary school serves as the Kansas City office of the Division of Continuing Education, Richard Meyer, the program's director, said Tuesday.
In Topeka, state employees take courses in public administration through the Capitol Complex Program, Marvin Harder, director of the program, said
Now called the Kansas City Area Regents' Center, the building was remodeled during the summer of 1975 into college classrooms.
THIS SEMESTER the center offers 75 residence credit courses and 35 days of noncredit instruction, including seminars and workshops. Meyer said.
Meyer said the former Johnson County school, located at 99th and Mission, had been purchased last June by the KU Enrollment Association, which leases it to the University.
"We serve as an extension of KU, as an outreach to people in Johnson and Wyan-
Most students at the center are 25-45 years old, work part time and carry three to four children on a farm.
Classes are offered in the evenings, between 6 and 9:50, and on Saturday mornings from 9 to 12, he said. Day classes aren't offered because few KU faculty members have the time to commute during the day.
THE CENTER isn't meant to compete with local junior colleges, Meyer said, but to provide different courses for people who don't have time to be full-time students.
Courses are available for juniors, seniors and graduate students, he said. They can be taken in any time during the day.
degree in liberal arts and science at the center, or take courses required for other
Graduate degree programs are available in civil engineering, education and social work.
"We've gotten good positive feedback from the people here," Meyer said. "They appreciate us bringing the courses and teachers from Lawrence."
Harder said the Capitol Complex Program in Topeka is aimed toward people in middle level managerial positions in government.
"WE PROVIDE an opportunity for state
employees who didn't have the time before to get their masters in public education," he
Classes are from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Monday through Thursday evenings, he said, in either the state capitol building or
the National Education Association building
"Both are within walking distance of the state office, our most of our water work building," said the mayor.
There are 116 students enrolled this semester in the program's six courses that include regulation of public utilities and the legislative process, he said.
STUDENT STAFF POSITIONS AVAILABLE
1976 Summer Orientations Programs
for
Desired qualifications:
. . . good academic standing
... undergraduate at the University of Kansas
. . . leadership qualities and skills
... knowledge of University programs & activities
Job descriptions & applications available in Admissions & Records. 126 Strong
Applications due by Tuesday, March 30
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Dressing room Medical Center bids told today
Bids for new football dressing rooms near Allen Field House and a closure package for the KU Medical Center clinical facility will be announced this afternoon.
The football dressing room will be built with Endowment association funds. Bids will be opened at the association's office here. Bids for the clinical facility, which is now under construction, will be opened in Topaka.
Items included in the closure package for
the clinical facility, which would close the
outside frame of the facility, are precast
roofing, roofing, doors, windows and
caulking.
Max Lucas, assistant to the chancellor,
said yesterday that an interior package for
the facility would be opened for bids in
both floors and walls, ceilings,
walls, floors and interior finishes.
Lucas said smaller bids might be taken before April on items such as a trash and recycling bin.
Del Shanker, executive vice chancellor,
said the state architect would evaluate the facility bids. Normally the low bidger gets the contract on buildings, he said, because the bidder must guarantee to meet minimum building standards.
Specifications for the closure package were released for bids five to six weeks ago. Lucas said the facility would be the largest single building ever constructed in Kansas. Each of five floors covers four acres in area, he said.
Total cost of the facility is approximately $22 million.
The football dressing rooms will be built south of the fieldhouse annex to free space for women's athletic programs, he said. The gym and other facilities were remodeled for the women athletics' use.
Now Thru March 20
RAG TAG Pre-Spring Break SALE
on
SKI WEAR
WARM-UPS
FOOTBALL JERSEYS
TENNIS SHOES
ATHLETIC WEAR
&
EQUIPMENT
10%-70%
OFF
RAG TAG
1144 Indiana
Oread Corner
842-1059
Hurry to Lawrence Surplus'
TRADE-IN JEAN SALE
Lawrence Surplus will give you
Thursday through Saturday Only!
for ANY pair of old jeans, regardless of condition, toward the purchase of ANY jeans or pants in the store, regardless of price!
- NO MORE THAN ONE TRADE-IN PER NEW JEAN.
- ALL TRADE-INS WILL BE DONATED TO CHARITY.
So, gather up all those old jeans you have no use for and make them count for new ones, at
BANKAMERICARD