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Dealership reveals new car
Back in the 1950s and 60s when automobile models changed yearly, there was a sense of excitement and wonder when the new cars were unveiled. On Friday, Shepherd Team Auto Plaza returned to those days with a reveal of the 2012 Toyota Camry.
The event was part of a Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce coffee attended by 60-65 people. The unveiling was just one of the events going on nationwide Friday for the car's introduction.
Lance Asher, technical support manager for Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. in Kansas City, Mo., said he drove the new Camry for the first time on Friday. "It's got a totally different feel," Asher said. "It's got a firm yet responsive ride. ... It's a lot more refined than the previous generation Camry."
Executives attending said it costs $1 billion for auto manufacturers to introduce a new product. "This is a real big deal for Toyota and a real big deal for us. (Camry is) the No. 1 selling car in America," Shepherd Team Auto Plaza General Manager Robert K. Tersinar said.
Asher added that 90 percent of all Camrys sold since 1995 are still on the road today. The 2012 model has blind spot monitoring, has increased the number of airbags from seven to 10 and features entune, a system that links your car to your iPhone. The car's interior has also been redesigned.
Customers who purchase a Camry at Shepherd before Jan. 3 get Toyota Care free and three additional years of roadside assistance. "I think the 2012 Camry is the best we've ever built," Asher said.
Shephed said events like this used to be very common when the new models came out. "We probably need to do more things like this that involve the community. We've already had a chamber coffee this year, but this was a good reason to have another one," he said.
Shepherd's father Ray started the dealership in 1952. When Shepherd was going through his father's things after his death in 2009, he said he found a photo of the service department at the corner of Scott Avenue and Third Street.
There was a promotion where everyone got a homemade cupcake, one of which had a diamond ring. "So there was a big crowd," he said. "That was the kind of thing they did back then. Maybe we need to do (that) more to make it a more exciting time."