The automotive leasing industry has grown in the face of weakness in the auto industry, in the economy generally, and is spite of interest rates and money market conditions that could well have choked it, bodes well for its future in happier economic circum-stances.

Bennett E. Bidwell, president, Hertz Corporation (and former vice-president of Ford Motor Co.)

A halber emez is a gantzer lign (A half truth is a whole lie).

Yiddish Proverb

When I sell liquor, it’s called bott-legging; when my patrons serve it on silver trays on Lake Shore Drive, it’s called hospitality.

Al Capone

Somebody needs to say it…so many Detroit-types ignore it…it’s the one thing that few want to talk out loud about, refer to, or put in ink in the credit column…I’m calling attention to that one item that is saving so many of the white and blue collar jobs in “Chrome City” as well as the ancillary communities of suppliers that feed Detroit. None want to lessen the importance of the retail/wholesale factory syndrome where financial, accounting and marketing reign so long as they remain retail-oriented.

This is a very special era in the automotive business. We are seeing the fat cut from corporate staffs; unions are indirectly admitting that $19 an hour may not be justified in today’s business climate; marketing people are in disarray, auto company economists are hiding under corporate hoods rather than trying to explain last year’s projections for ’81 and ’82. the financial honchos are battling with the bean-counters over the importance of the sales department; public relations personnel are trying their best to shield management from the barrage of dealer accusations and defections from the ranks.

From the Renaissance Center to Hamtramck, from Dearborn to Troy, you can almost hear the chant in unison, “It’s a jungle out there.”

Well, what about a “tip’ o the hat” to the fleet segment of the industry. While is isn’t exactly paradise, it surely can still be counted upon for the steady volume that keeps those production lines moving in the midst of havoc. One million of six million sales (fleet sales are included in the larger figure so it’s really one fleet car for every five retail) has got to mean more than most of Detroit management is ready to admit. When you compare the relatively small size of the fleet departments to the volume sold, the disparity is even more pronounced. How about some overdue recognition for fleet sales, especially now!

Why? It’s not just the current volume of fleet vs. retail, but that retail sales figures have been down considerably and it appears they will remain that way for a while. Even the imports are slowly but surely losing total sales and market share. The real factor for consideration is the outlook for ’82 model fleet purchases. Chevrolet expects to be up 20 percent; Ford 17 percent; Lincoln-Mercury up 15 percent; Buick, 13 percent; Olds, 10 percent; Chrysler, 28 percent; American Motors expects to be up and Pontiac predicts a whopping 35 percent increase. No one in retail would dare to hope for estimates like this. Fleet sales have to be the envy of every Detroit boardroom. In addition, a majority of these fleet orders are solidly in-house before dealers take the wraps off the new models in their showroom.

Fleet business is a good, steady and profitable business. So, how about a salute to those fleet people who are buying or selling and making life a bit more bearable during these difficult times?