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Consumer Reports noted a need to eliminate dealers long ago - maybe in early 1990s. I don’t remember the numbers – maybe 20,000 dealers reduced to 7,000. Also expected to eliminate so many dealers were direct car sales via the internet and publication of dealer prices from the manufacturer. Consumer Reports routinely advocated buying a car at manufacturer's cost plus a few hundred because dealers (should) bring so little value to a sale.
Indeed, those who have prospered most in the auto industry were dealers. Ironically, GM would punish troublesome executives (ie those who advocated better quality) with an early retirement and an opportunity to quit the company by owning a dealership.
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