Audi still in New Orleans Area

Looks like the Audi dealership will be where Saturn of Metairie currently is located

http://www.wdsu.com/money/19453709/detail.html

NEW ORLEANS -- Three local Saturn dealerships are closing as parent company General Motors discontinues the vehicle line so it can try to restructure and avoid bankruptcy.

Saturn of Metairie and two other Saturn dealerships are the latest casualty of GM's financial troubles.

"We're terminating our Saturn franchise, with the issue of General Motors talking about bankruptcy," said Van Bohn, the general manager at Saturn of Metairie.

Tuesday was Bohn's last day as the dealership's manager. The Bohn family also owns several other car dealerships in the New Orleans area.

"We have 84 employees we're keeping approximately 60 of them," Bohn said. "I've called three or four dealerships, (and) approximately 14 of those have interviews or have been hired already."

Bohn said he's working on finding jobs for the remaining 10 employees. GM, which owns Saturn, says it will increase job cuts in its factories, close additional plants, eliminate more dealerships and discontinue the Pontiac brand under a revised restructuring announced Monday.

It's all being done in an effort to retire most of the company's $27 billion in unsecured debt.

This leaves Saturn and Pontiac owners wondering where to service their cars and have their warranties met.

Luckily for customer Chaz Washboard, he can bring his car to the same spot.

"I can still bring it back here to get it repaired," Washboard said. "I guess if I want to buy one, I have to go to Baton Rouge or somewhere."

Bohn said the Metairie location and his Slidell location will be able to accommodate customers' repairs. He plans to keep them open, and he'll sell Audi vehicles in Metairie and Kia vehicles in Slidell.

"They can bring their maintenance to these two locations, as well as their extended warranty to work to the Metairie location and Slidell location," Bohn said.

The automotive industry woes are not limited to GM. Chrysler filed for bankruptcy back in April, and on Thursday it will announce which dealers it intends to keep.

On Friday, GM will notify 1,000 to 1,200 dealers that their franchises will not be renewed. It will also stop producing Hummers andSaabs

 

I've been wondering about the Audi dealer. I heard they were closing to bring Smart in but then about 6 months after that I was at the MB dealer in B.R. and saw they had a Smart.

They said they had it a year and lots of people came to look at it but they had a hard time selling it and pretty much scrapped their plans to bring in the line.

We went to the Audi dealer on Vets to look at the A5 and could barely get someone to talk to us.

 

I know I drove by recently and saw a Smart but I didn't look too closely.

 

I've been seeing the smarts around just not many. I could see the MB dealer keeping one or two and ordering them if someone wanted one. I don't think an entire dealer of them would make much sense. They probably would sell better around here than in B.R. Thats a better SUV market IMO

 

Anyone know status of Audi of New Orleans? When I click the Audi side on this site it takes me to Porsche: http://www.porscheaudiofneworleans.com/

 

It's my understanding that Paretti has taken on Audi. Not sure when they will reopen. I just hope it's soon! It really sucks having to get parts from the dealer in BR and wait, and wait, and wait.....