Are Car Sales Up in North Texas? | News | CW33 Dallas/Fort Worth

Are Car Sales Up in North Texas?

Is the economy better in north Texas?

by Barry Carpenter, CW 33 News at Nine

March 18, 2008

Nationwide, car sales were down last month; credit is tight and people don't have extra money, at least money they want to spend. But what about here in Texas?

As it turns out, a form of Texas tea is fueling car sales and I'm on the case.

New cars and trucks, almost too bright and shiny to resist. While in many parts of the country sales are down, here in north Texas, natural gas is driving up car sales.

"This is the all new 2009 Ford Flex," says Texas Motors Ford owner Cliff Johnson. The Fort Worth car dealer's year to date sales are up 22%. The Barnett Shale and it's vast supply of natural gas are keeping north Texans working and flush with money. Johnson says, "On any given day, someone is in my dealership who is involved with the Barnett Shale, either fragging wells or running pipe or driving trucks; people are moving into the area and it really has been a spectacular learning experience for me."

The Barnett Shale is nothing short of a modern-day gold rush, and that's good news for dealers -- and automakers. General Motors builds SUV's in Arlington, including the new Tahoe Flex Fuel. With gas prices at record highs, one of Ford's biggest sellers is also it's biggest vehicle, the mammoth Expedition EL. "That's correct, the Expedition EL, the EL stands for the extended length expedition, it's kind of the new soccer mom car," says Johnson.

But car buyers are looking for fuel economy. The Scholfield family is scouting out a car for Brian, who will be able to drive next year; they're thinking big and safe. Brian's mom, Debbie, isn't surprised car sales are moving. "No, I don't think so. I think people really like cars and it's something you spend a lot of time in, so every time I get in my car, I want to enjoy the experience," she says.

While concept cars are in the pipeline, it's the natural gas pipeline that has many north Texas dealers reveling in the here and now. In this economy? What a concept. "Look at the choices in the marketplace today, it's really incredible," says Johnson.

And things could be better, but tougher lending guidelines can make it hard for some to get credit. Still, the north Texas economy is holding up better than many other parts of the country.