SAN FRANCISCO - At the National Automobile Dealers Association convention here this month, the Ford Retail Network was a primary topic of discussion.
Everywhere, dealers of every brand wanted to talk about FRNs and share horror stories, perhaps fearing the concept will spread.
Don Thornton, CEO of the Ford Auto Collection in Tulsa, said he was treated like a pariah. No one would talk to him or even sit by him. The dealers don't like him, and the factory officials didn't want to make it seem they were favoring him.
Said Thornton: 'It's almost as if I have the plague.'
