What Not

Being that Leikin Motor Companies specializes in Volvo, you might be surprised that we’ve brought in the other Swedish brand to complement our pre-owned inventory. But as most of you know, SAAB cars are a special treat for me. After owning six of them, it’s hard not to notice the SAABs we bring in.

Right now, we have a smaller selection than usual, but both cars are very nice. The 2007 SAAB 9-7x 4.2i is fully loaded with chrome wheels, flip down DVD player, 6-disc CD player, AWD, and leather, heated seats. It has plenty of power and looks good! The 2007 SAAB 9-3 2.0T is a great car for someone who likes both fast acceleration and good fuel economy. It comes with leather, heated seats, power moon roof, and an automatic transmission.

If you’ve been looking for a quality car without having to spend the money that it might take to purchase a Mercedes or Volvo, take a look at the SAAB. You may be pleasantly surprised!

2009 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic

As the leaves fall from the trees, you are beginning to think that winter is just around the corner.  And before you know it, the holidays will be here with colder weather and plenty of snow.  So, it’s time to start thinking seriously about purchasing your next Mercedes-Benz before the cold weather hits.  Mercedes’ sure-footed 4Matic All Wheel Drive system will enable you to drive through the coming winter with no fear.

But don’t just take our word for it.  Schedule an appointment today and experience a Mercedes-Benz for yourself!

Your friends at…
Leikin Mercedes-Benz

One of the coolest cars Volvo currently offers is the C30. It’s what I would consider a “hot hatch.” With a 227 hp turbo charged I-5 and the option of a 6 speed manual transmission, this is one fun car to drive. But what sets it apart from the other hatchbacks is it’s comfortable seats and ride. A customer recently took one for a test drive and couldn’t get over the quality of the ride. In her words, she was “pleasantly surprised.”

After taking a 2009 C30 home for a few days, I came away with a new respect for the performance of the vehicle but also recognized a critical design flaw … the front end. All the cool pictures of the C30 are taken from the back. The frameless glass hatch and body kit both make a statement that the car is really cool. But the front end left me with a puzzled look after taking several digital photos of the car. It just wasn’t as appealing as it could be.

Volvo must have read my mind.

The UK branch of volvocars.com is currently showing a redesigned front end for both the C30 and C70. And it looks good! See how the hood slopes down more in the front and how the headlamps are more slanted. It gives the car a more aggressive look. And the more I look at it, the more I want to drive it through some twisty roads. This is what the car was missing all along—not performance or comfort. They needed to slightly adjust the look of the car to match everything else that is right already. I’m liking it and am hoping that we’ll get the new look sooner than later.

Q: How many car salesmen does it take to change a light bulb?
A: I’m going to work this out on my calculator, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Q: What does CHRYSLER stand for?
A: Company Has Recommended You Start Learning Engine Repair

Q: What does DODGE stand for?
A: Doing Overhauls Daily Gets Expensive

Q: What does FIAT stand for?
A: Found In A Trashcan

Q: What does MERCEDES stand for?
A:Most Expensive Road Car Everyone Drives Except Steve

Q: What does SAAB stand for?
A: Styling Absent After Buyout (GM that is)

Q: Know why the British don’t make computers?
A: They couldn’t figure out how to make them leak oil!

A guy walks into a parts store and says “I’d like to get a gas cap for my Yugo” and the parts guy says, “Okay, that sounds like a fair trade.”

“Back when Toyota was designing the original Lexus LS400, they had a test they used to check quality. They would put a cat in a car in the evening, go home, and when they got back the next morning, if the cat was dead they knew the car was airtight. We decided to try that with a New Yorker. When we got back the next morning, the cat was gone.”

Now that I am employed as the internet manager for Leikin Motor Companies, I have to look past my own website to the company’s three websites. Unfortunately, the three websites are not very SEO (search engine optimized). So, a few months ago, we hired a company to design a new site which will be SEO from the beginning. That sounds great, but why wait until the new site’s completion to get things started? My goal is to get the current site optimized now so that the new one will have an even better chance of success.

Using websitegrader.com as the benchmark, the following chart reports that the sites could use quite a bit of work.

SITE	GRADE
leikinbuick.com	36
leikinmercedes.com	39
leikinvolvo.com	55

Will I be able to make a difference before the new sites are completed?  I don’t know.  But I’m going to give it a try!

I’ve been working for Leikin Volvo as a salesman for the past 1½ years. It has been a good job but full of ups and downs as you would expect in this economy. To help boost my presence on the internet, I designed a website to showcase the cars that I was able to sell. That was an enjoyable project and has proven helpful to me and my customers. Later, when I began distributing a magnet business card with Andy Rupert.com emblazoned across the top, my co-workers started calling me, “Andy Rupert dot com.” (They even page me over the intercom as Andy Rupert.com now!) Even so, that all came in handy recently when the internet manager position became vacant. After several discussions with my manager and some of the others, I was interviewed and offered the job!

I started my new position Wednesday and have been very busy trying to get a handle on my new responsibilities. They involve maintaining the old and future websites as well as managing internet leads given to the salesman in the three showrooms at our dealership. It’s a good job but let me tell you that it takes lots of time. There was, however, time this morning for me to record a video of Trenton singing about my new job. I think you will agree that it was time well spent.

Mystery Car 60 is a Jowett Jupiter.  But it’s not just any old Jupiter. This is one of the infamous R4 models first exhibited in 1953.  According to one source, only three R4 models were ever produced — the first made of steel and the others of plastic laminate.  The outcome was an interesting car that would have caught my attention if I had been looking for a sporty car back then.

When I first saw the R4′s 1.5 liter horizontally opposed engine, I was reminded of the VW and Corvair engines that have intrigued me for the last twenty years. At only 64 hp, you might not expect much, but the R4 actually achieved 100 mph at one point … with the hood removed.  Even still, it was an accomplishment for a car at the time.

__________

1 Jowett Jupiter Specifications, Performance and Statistics
2 Jowett Jupiter Production History

SaabsUnited recently posted a blog article regarding GM’s May the Best Car Win campaign.  Apparently, they wanted to see what the people perceive to be the best cars in fuel efficiency, safety, quality, performance, and what was the overall best value.

Although it didn’t help GM any, it’s nice to know that people still recognize Volvo as the safest brand out there.  That’s not just a carry over from the past as evidenced by the IIHS’ Top Safety Picks for 2009: the C30, C70, S80*, and XC90.  With the new XC60′s City Safety System and the redesign of the S60, I wouldn’t be surprised if they add both of them to the list for 2010-11.

__________

*Note that the V70 and XC70 are wagon versions of the S80, so they were probably ranked together.

I’ve made a few changes at andyrupert.com which have paid off recently.  The front page has been revamped to reflect the promotional Mystery Car Contest.   I’ve also added a fall theme just to spice things up.  And for whatever reason, websitegrader.com thought the changes were worth an A!  Hurrah!